THEATRE COMPANY RETURNS TO CITY CENTRE VENUE WITH HARD HITTING 80s DRAMA

Theatre company Against The Grain returns to a Chester city centre theatre this week, to stage a hard-hitting yet funny and poignant play set in the era of the Thatcher Government of the 1980s.

'Hansard' by Simon Woods, is set to run at The Salisbury Studio at Chester Little Theatre from Wednesday 9^th - Saturday 12^th October at 7.30pm with a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday 12^th October. The play which is being staged by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French, will be directed for Against The Grain by Stuart Evans.

Set in the summer of 1988 against the background of the introduction of 'Section 28', a controversial piece of legislation drawn up Margaret Thatcher's Tory Government which outlawed the promotion and teaching of acceptability of Homosexuality by local authorities in schools, libraries and other public places, 'Hansard' tells the story of Tory MP and junior cabinet minister Robin Hesketh who returns home from Parliament to spend the weekend at his house in the Cotswolds which he shares with Diana, his wife of 30 years. Diana has a hangover, a fox is destroying the garden and secrets are being dug up all over place. As the day progresses, what begins as all too familiar marital sparring turns to into a blood sport.  

Described as "acerbic, waspishly funny and very moving", 'Hansard' premiered at The National Theatre in 2019. Against The Grain's production at Chester Little Theatre will feature Chester based actors Mark Newman and Marian Newman as Robin and Diana. 

Speaking about 'Hansard', the play's director Stuart Evans said:

"This play is like a game of tennis but with words, stories and memories shared. Robin and Diana are constantly hitting back at each other with sometimes scathing responses sometimes hilariously funny and others that are just mean. They try to 'top trump' each other the whole time along with teasing and striking nerves. But is Diana’s final shot the winning shot with a story that has never been shared before?  Who will get the next point?  What’s great about the play is that it’s set in real time, 2 actors, no scene changes, one room, one set, one act and hundreds of emotions."

Full details of 'Hansard' can be found at: 

www.ticketsource.co.uk/chestertheatreclub 

...where tickets can be booked online.