I don’t know where he goes, who he hangs around with.
I don’t even know if he wears high top trainers.
When the body of a local teenager is found next to the war memorial in Romford, a community is shocked.
A mother thinks of her son.
A police officer searches for answers.
A lonely girl waits at a bus stop
And two teenagers discover love –
in a chat box, that is.
In a world of instant connection, of cyberchats and selfies, how well can we ever really know those around us?
A Local Boy is a provocative, gripping, and touchingly funny debut play by Dan Murphy about identity, relationships, and the anger that smoulders when we feel like we don't belong.
Outside this chat window … anything could happen...
Jack Bence (Boy 2) Stage credits include Swimming (Soho Theatre, Edinburgh Festival), Rough Cuts (Royal Court Theatre), Bunny's Vendetta (The Glassworks), A Skull in Connemara (Riverside Studios), Ajax, Macbeth (Love and Madness). Television credits include The Interceptor (BBC), Bad Education (Tiger Aspect), Phone Shop (Channel 4), Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures). Film credits include A Small Dot on the Western Front, Twenty8K and Hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Tim Bowie (Boy 1) trained at Guildhall, and is Co-Artistic Director of Invertigo Theatre Company. He is due to start filming for Redefining Juliet, playing Romeo, in March (BBC). He has just finished filming feature Streets Of Narm (Brit It Films). He has appeared in Doctors (BBC), short films Adored (Amy Lloyd), Turtle Boy (Biko Films), The Teenagers (HighTide), Philip Ridley’s revival of Vincent River (The Pleasance), A Marked Man (HighTide) and Outside On The Street (The Pleasance Jack Dome).
Abby Cassidy (Tina) trained at Italia Conti, graduating in 2013. Theatre credits include: A Small Family Business (Royal National Theatre), McQueen (Haymarket Theatre). TV and Film include Doctors (BBC) and Modern Life is Rubbish (Feature Film).
Bally Gill (Carl) made his professional stage debut in Dinner with Saddam (Menier Chocolate Factory). A recent graduate from Rose Bruford College, his credits in training include The Bureau of Lost Things (Theatre 503), Table (Stratford Circus Arts Centre) and Suddenly, Last Summer (Rose Bruford).
Crissy O'Donovan (Rose) is a founder member of multi award-winning theatre company the Vanner Collective. Most recently the company took Ashes Afar to the Edinburgh and Bucharest Fringe, where the company won Best Production and Best Play, and Crissy won Best Performer. Other theatre work includes Caitlin in Peep at the Arcola Theatre, Emma in Spent at Soho Theatre and Lathrop in ByPass for Dublin Fringe. In film, she played the School Nurse in the British feature, The Falling (BBC Films). Crissy is a graduate of The Oxford School of Drama.
Friday 26, Saturday 27 February, 1:30pm, 7pm -- Dome (Brighton)
Monday 29 February, 8pm -- South Hill Park (Bracknell)
Tuesday 1, Wednesday 2 March, 9pm -- The Arts Theatre (London)
Friday 4 March, 7:45pm -- Cast (Doncaster)
Sunday 6 March, 7pm -- The Arts Theatre (London)
‘I liked how real it was…I think it was good for our age as well, because it was something we can relate to’
@Hannahterk: ‘funny, engaging, and honest. An insight into teenagers mind, with a fabulous twist’
@AcademyRising: ‘Such refreshing theatre, brilliantly written and performed by Invertigo Theatre. Funny, dark and thought provoking #ALocalBoy #miskintheatre’
@CllrAlexDonald: ‘Saw #ALocalBoy last night about #Romford: chatrooms, sex, alcohol & murder. It was brilliant! Book now https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/local-boy-0#overview … @InvertigoCo’
@tessbg5: ‘#ALocalBoy @ThePleasance theatre. Humor intertwined with the darkness the online world & bullying – GO SEE this week!’
"Funny and engaging with a wicked twist"
"incisive, cutting and disturbing power -- deeply provocative"
"funny and incisive -- Murphy has a real feel for natural dialogue and the cast bring this tale to life with humour and tenderness"
A Local Boy is part of the Creative Shed Programme project Identity.
