Writer Gerry Linford has compiled a play centred around a popular radio programme, called The Peaceful Hour which was hosted by Liverpool DJ Pete Price; it was aired on Radio City from 10pm – 2am for four decades and became a ‘must’ for many late-night radio listeners.
The show is directed by Emma Bird, with Set and Costume Design by Chris McCourt, Ian Scott Lightening Designer and Marie Jones Wardrobe Supervisor.
The play focuses on Julie (Ellie Clayton), her new boyfriend, anthropology student, Tim (Jack Whittle) and her dysfunctional family.
As the play opens, it’s 1987, Julie and Tim are in Julie’s tower block flat in Kirkby, after meeting in a club in Liverpool city centre. Julie, dressed Madonna style, is set on a night of passion and cavorts across the stage and on and off the furniture performing sexual acrobatics trying to seduce Tim, posing, as she thinks, seductively in order to attract his attention and get him into bed. But Tim wants none of it, preferring to get to know Julie first, whose name he didn’t know until they introduced each other over a glass of wine in the flat.
The play concentrates on Julie’s living conditions in a small, high-rise flat in Kirkby and her family, contrasted with posh speaking Tim’s middle class upbringing in the Cotswolds with ‘mummy and daddy’, attending boarding school and going on walking holidays with his family (which Julie’s family find hilarious).
Julie’s erratic family members, Edna (Julie Glover), Tommy (Michael Hawkins), Ange (Angela Simms) and Carl (Lenny Wood) are introduced to the audience, each with their own individual back stories and idiosyncrasies.
The set portrays the inside of the tower block flat and the outside balcony with the view and skyline of Liverpool. There are many references to living conditions in Kirkby and the controversial funding of the artificial dry ski slope which was planned to be built there in the 1970’s, plans for which were abandoned due to it being considered unsafe.
The play attempts to portray an authentic depiction of everyday life in Kirkby in the late 1980’s, with actors using strong regional dialects, a substantial amount of vulgarity and profanity and a heavy abundance of cultural references.
Stereotypes abound within the play, particularly regarding the portrayal of certain characters which may be offensive to some, whilst others may find it amusing.
The play attempts to portray the harsh realities of working-class life in a comedic style, but on many levels it fails due to exaggeration, larger-than-life stereotypes and a gut feeling that the actors are trying too hard to make the script work.
The script contains a measure of controversial content which may offend.
The show runs from 27th February to 6th March 2025.
Reviewer Anne Pritchard 20.02.2025
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