Boy Who Kicked Pigs Premieres at Lowry, 21 June

Former Doctor Who and author Tom Baker’s macabre book, The Boy Who Kicked Pigs arrives at The Lowry’s Studio next month. Baker has granted exclusive rights to new company – Kill The Beast who will present their first production as part of The Lowry’s ‘Developed With’ programme.

Kill The Beast Theatre Company, is a company of Warwick graduates who have a passion for dark comedy, pork-based narratives and violence against fictional animals.

Director, Clem Garrity said “The idea to turn the story into a theatrical piece came a number of years ago when, after a few grown-up years of neglect, I rediscovered the book as my parents were redecorating my old bedroom. I began to get excited by the ways in which the story could be told, and the visuals realised, in a live medium. After collating a team of collectively likeminded, and thusly weird, individuals we got started on writing the script.”

Thirteen year old Robert Caligari has a rather nasty habit of kicking pigs. But today Robert is going to get his comeuppance; today is the day that Robert Caligari is going to die! The Boy Who Kicked Pigs is a grotesquely comic farce adapted from the cult novel by former Doctor Who – Tom Baker. Talking piggy-banks, shark mutilation, a nasty incident involving ‘Weed killer cornflakes’ and possibly the apocalypse abound in this black comedy set in a drab and dreary past; a time where evil teenagers had nothing better to do than attempt to poison their sisters, cause the downfall of mankind and, of course, kick the odd pig…

Author Tom Baker is a British actor. He is best known for playing the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, a role he played from 1974 to 1981. He is also the voice of Little Britain, narrating the television series which was written by David Walliams and Matt Lucas. Tom Baker is a prolific voiceover artist. In a 2005 survey of British adults, Baker’s voice was found to be the fourth most recognisable after the Queen, Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher. Tom Baker wrote The Boy Who Kicked Pigs in 1999 and was subsequently described in a review as “A grotesque masterpiece”.

Kill The Beast Theatre Company is the tenth emerging talent to be part of The Lowry’s ‘Developed With’ programme since its inception in 2010. The Lowry is committed to incubating the best talent from across the North West and beyond and works with companies to offer creative and practical support. At present five productions developed with The Lowry are touring across the UK.

The Lowry’s Artistic Director, Robert Robson said “We are absolutely delighted with the outstanding success of our ‘Developed with The Lowry’ programme of support for new and emerging artists and companies. It has led to the creation of a series of exciting pieces of wonderful new work for presentation not only in our Studio and but also on tour around the UK and even further afield.”

The Boy Who Kicked Pigs is at the Lowry Studio from 21 – 23 June.