Stoke-based Claybody Theatre Company will transport the city’s Spode Works back to the 1950s for its next production Hot Lane.
Directed and written by husband-and-wife team Conrad Nelson and Deborah McAndrew, Hot Lane is a “powerful tale of passion and betrayal in the six towns” around Stoke.
It features a mysterious woman returning to the Potteries after 13 years away. Her presence reopens old wounds and stirs secret desires. People are asking why she came back.
Playwright McAndrew said, “this play grew directly out of the success of our 2017 production Dirty Laundry. Listening to the play every night, I realised that I hadn’t quite finished with some of these characters, and there were more stories to tell about Stoke in the 1950s.
“I’ve called the play Hot Lane after an old street in Burslem. The play is set in this part of the city, and this name seemed perfect for the passions and the pressures that my characters feel in the story. All of them, in some way, take the hot lane!”
Nelson added, “once again we aim to offer the audience an immersive experience in a familiar industrial space that has been transformed. We’ll tell a compelling story inspired by the unique history and culture of Stoke, but one that also feels contemporary and relevant to people’s lives today.”
Producer Helen Slevin commented, “we’re delighted to have achieved another substantial award from Arts Council England to make theatre in Stoke. We believe this is due to the high quality of our work and the genuine desire of people in Stoke for a vibrant arts scene—with all the social, cultural and economic benefits it brings.”
Hot Lane will première at the Spode Works in Stoke from Wednesday 14 until Saturday 24 November.