Jack Thorne's

Junkyard

Writer
Jack Thorne

Directors
Sarah Frankcom and Karoline Gable

Musical Director
John Pfumojena

Venue
The Sainsbury Theatre

Dates
Wednesday 9 June at 7:30pm
Thursday 10 June at 7:30pm
Friday 11 June at 2pm
Friday 11 June at 7:30pm
(live-streamed)

About the show

“Who’d want to join in building a f****** playground?”

It’s the tail end of the seventies, in Bristol, and the kids are not alright.

No money. Difficult families. Dark memories. But Rick thinks he can change things. A bit of old junk and a whole lot of community spirit is just what this lot need to save them.

They’re not impressed. Even the promise of a certificate isn’t going to make these 13-year-olds want a playground. Let alone one they have to build themselves.

Based on a real initiative, Junkyard combines music and storytelling with humour and poignancy.

Music by Stephen Warbeck.

Additional material for the Junk Orchestra composed and arranged by John Pfumojena with the company.

Jack Thorne’s plays for the stage include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London, 2016); The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae Theatre Company); Hope (Royal Court Theatre, London, 2014); adaptations of Let the Right One In (National Theatre of Scotland at Dundee Rep, the Royal Court and the Apollo Theatre, London, 2013/14) and Stuart: A Life Backwards (Underbelly, Edinburgh, and tour, 2013); Mydidae (Soho, 2012; Trafalgar Studios, 2013); an adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Physicists (Donmar Warehouse, 2012); Bunny (Underbelly, Edinburgh, 2010; Soho, 2011); 2nd May 1997 (Bush, 2009); Burying Your Brother in the Pavement (National Theatre Connections, 2008); When You Cure Me (Bush, 2005; Radio 3’s Drama on Three, 2006); Fanny and Faggot (Pleasance, Edinburgh, 2004 and 2007; Finborough, 2007; English Theatre of Bruges, 2007; Trafalgar Studios, 2007); and Stacy (Tron, 2006; Arcola, 2007; Trafalgar Studios, 2007). His radio plays include Left at the Angel (Radio 4, 2007), an adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (2009) and an original play People Snogging in Public Places (Radio 3’s Wire slot, 2009). He was a core writer in all three series of Skins (E4, Channel 4, BBC America), writing five episodes. His other TV writing includes National Treasure, The Last Panthers, Glue, The Fades (2012 BAFTA for Best Drama Series), Shameless, Cast-Offs, This is England ’86 (2011 Royal Television Society Award for Best Writer – Drama), This is England ’88, This is England ’90 and the 30-minute drama The Spastic King. His work for film includes the features War Book, A Long Way Down, adapted from Nick Hornby’s novel, and The Scouting Book for Boys, which won him the Star of London Best Newcomer Award at the London Film Festival 2009.

After working as a drama teacher in the East End, Sarah Frankcom started working with new writers and in drama schools. She spent time at the National Theatre Studio, Oval House and the Red Room, and taught at the Poor School. Having originally joined the Royal Exchange Theatre as Literary Manager, she became the co-artistic director in 2008, and the sole artistic director in 2014. In 2019 Sarah left the Royal Exchange to take up position as the new director of LAMDA. Recent works include Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet with Maxine Peake for the BBC, Light Falls, The Nico Project (co-created with Maxine Peake for MIF 2019), West Side Story, Death of a Salesman, Happy Days, Our Town (winner of Best Director at the UK Theatre Awards), The Last Testament of Lillian Bilocca (Hull City of Culture), A Streetcar Named Desire, All I Want is One Night, The Striker (MIF15 and BBC Radio 3), Hamlet, Blindsided, That Day We Sang, The Masque of Anarchy (produced at the Albert Hall for MIF13), Black Roses, Three Birds, Orpheus Descending, Miss Julie (a new version by David Eldridge), Beautiful Thing, A View from the Bridge, Winterlong (by Andrew Sheridan winner of the& Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting), Punk Rock (by Simon Stephens, winner of the MEN Award for Best Production), Blithe Spirit, Three Sisters, On the Shore of the Wide World (by Simon Stephens, winner of the Olivier Award for Best Play) and Kes. Her work has also been seen at the National Theatre, the Bush Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith, the Soho Theatre and the Crucible, Sheffield.

Karoline Gable trained as an actor and singer at the University of Arts Berlin and The Royal Academy of Music London.

As an actor, she worked in numerous Theatres across the UK and internationally. Credits include the Voiceover Visitors to Versailles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, the Tony Award-winning play Oslo at the National Theatre and Harold Pinter Theatre, directed by Bartlett Sher, Schikaneder (Raimund Theatre Vienna), directed by Trevor Nunn, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd (Germany), Noël Coward: A talent to amuse (St James Theatre) and the UK Premiere of Monsieur Popular (Theatre Royal Bath).

As a Theatre Practitioner and Director, Karoline worked as a freelance teacher at LAMDA and Mountview, and ran the Singing & Music Department at LAMDA from 2018-2020 before taking over the LAMDA Foundation Course in October 2020. During her time at LAMDA she directed projects like Next to NormalSongs for a new worldSunday in the Park with George, and Fun Home, as well as new writing projects and devised work.

Strong language, themes of an adult nature and scenes of a distressing nature.

If you would like further information, please contact the box office.

Photos: SRTaylor Photography

Creative Team

Director
Sarah Frankcom and Karoline Gable

Assistant Director
Harry Gould

Designer
Ruari Murchison

Lighting Designer
Oliver Horne

Sound Designer
Chris Drohan

Assistant Sound Designer
Benjamin Laws-Williams

Musical Director
John Pfumojena

Movement Director
Heriberto Montalban

Vocal Coach
Jeremy Finch

Cast

Tom
Niyi Akin

Tilly
Emma Cooney

Fiz
Amy Darton

Mum
Sarah Farrell

Malcom
Gruff Harries

Ginger
Andrew Krueger

Debbie
Mathilde Majnoni

Loppy
Katie Matsell

Rick
Ross McShane

Higgy
Daniel Rock

Production Team

Production Manager
Waverley Moran

Stage Manager
Josephine Lea Fadani

Deputy Stage Manager
Gusta Matthews

Assistant Stage Manager
Olivia Dunne

Assistant Stage Manager
Brent Tan

Wardrobe Supervisor
Chrissy Maddison*

Chief LX
Amy Hill

Deputy LX
Harry Masters

Programmer
Jahmiko Marshall

LX Crew
Megan Bishop
Tara Daynes
Jasmine Fuller
Lucas Harle
Rebecca Harris
Josette Shipp
Steph Siraut

Production Sound Engineer
Nevison Kusokora

Sound Number One
Hattie North

Sound Assistants
Michael Fleming
Alyssia Jones /
Tom McCreadie
Sam Tate

Production Carpenter
Sam Maslin

Construction Crew
Fintan Beirne
Murong Li
Sophia Markou
Ewen Roberts
Tom Smith

Streaming Supervisor
Bella Kear

Photos: SRTaylor Photography