Hard Times

Tue 27 Mar to Sat 31 Mar 2018

PLAYHOUSE

£32 - £10

The Northern Powerhouse, 1854.

Imagine a world where imagination is forbidden. Coketown is such a place. Thomas Gradgrind will not permit fanciful thoughts in his school or his home. But what effect will this policy have on his own children, Tom and Louisa? How can he protect them from corrupting influences – especially when the circus comes to town?

Dark satanic mills, interrupted by the colour and vibrancy of Sleary’s Circus, set the stage for a sweeping tale of suppressed love, seduction and social mores, peopled with the sharply observed exaggerated characters that Dickens is celebrated for.

Conrad Nelson directs Deborah McAndrew’s witty adaptation of Charles Dickens’ great Northern novel to bring you a joyful juggling and tumbling through this touching and often hilarious tale of repression and longing.

A Northern Broadsides production

Company

By Deborah McAndrew

Directed by Conrad Nelson

Reviews

Hard Times

★★★★
"An exuberant ensemble"

Hard Times

"It’s an entertaining evening."

The Times

Hard Times

"Fun, entertaining and a great way to access Dickens."

Hard Times // reviews

★★★★
"Visually arresting"
The Stage

"An entertaining evening"
The Times

★★★★
"Superb adaptation"
Reviews Hub

★★★★
"A strong cast deliver his original songs with great gusto"
North West End

Read more

PLAYHOUSE

Rehearsal blog

"Never has it been more important for actors and facilitators to come together and reach out beyond the auditorium and into the real world…"

Read Suzanne Ahmet's blog from the Hard Times rehearsal room
View More