“Come to Daddy. No, not to Mummy, to Daddy. That’s it. Knees bent. Best foot forward.”
In Tony Bell’s one-man show Man In The Rain, Alan and Dorothy have great plans for Tony, their miracle baby. He’s going to conquer the world, as soon as they’ve found the right recipe.
Cocooned in seventies suburbia, Tony thinks he plays drums like Keith Moon, football like Bobby Charlton, and warbles like Donny Osmond. Meantime Dorothy teaches him radical feminism while Alan serenades with Gilbert and Sullivan.
A hippy guru awakens Tony to the joys of free love and an acting coach propels him into the West End until family secrets catch up with him. This poignant, funny play explores how parents and children navigate their differences and asks why some choose to perform and others choose to watch.
Tony Bell has been an actor for over thirty years, with roles in The Crown and Coronation Street. He is a founder member of Propeller Shakespeare ensemble, touring globally to New York, Manilla and Milan. This is his first solo play and he is delighted to open so close to his new home.
Content advice: this production contains occasional strong language, adult themes and reported mention of suicide. Suitable 14+.
Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2DH Dates: Tuesday 19 – Saturday 30 November. Time: 7.30pm.
Box office: www.brockleyjack.co.uk or 0333 666 3366 (£1.80 fee for phone bookings only)
Tickets: £17, £15 concessions (14+)
Running time: Sixty minutes, with no interval
