"The Shoeshine" is a new two-act play written by Swansea writer and actor Richard Lloyd, which will be performed in Aberystwyth Arts Centre on Wednesday 16th May 2012 by Seren Theatre Company. Tickets are £6.50 (£4.50) and are available from Aberystwyth Arts Centre ticket office 01970 62 32 32 or online www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre. Richard plays the Shoeshine, who has manned his pitch for over 40 years at the foyer of an unspecified railway station, going mostly unnoticed whilst observing every last detail of the passing world. People who visit him may find he knows more about them than they find comfortable. The Shoeshine is a worldly-wise working man, based on some of the figures in the life of Richard Lloyd, the writer of the play. The story is a human and emotive one about a man in his late 50’s who has been shining shoes for 44 years. He is an anachronism, but because of his experience of life he is now a worldly-wise, almost guru-like, figure in what most people regard as a subservient role. His post at the foyer of a railway station has given him much opportunity to observe people at times of heightened emotions, during fond reunions and regretful farewells, and his sense of empathy and quiet wisdom brings insight in dealing with those he meets. The play is directed by Steve Grey and features him and his sister Julie-Anne Grey as a recently married but ill-matched couple whose encounter with this wise observer of the world exposes the cracks in their relationship while offering the hope of resolution. Cathy Morris plays an old, admired, but rather reserved school friend whose guarded exterior conceals an inner vulnerability which touches the Shoeshine’s loneliness. This thought-provoking play, with its pathos and wry humour, has been performed to much acclaim at several venues, including Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre and Bridgnorth’s Theatre on the Steps. “A touching tale of a shoeshine coming to the end of his working life, who dispenses wisdom with the Cherry Blossom from his post at a train station, made for an evening of whimsical entertainment at the Dylan Thomas Centre.” South Wales Evening Post. “when the final curtain fell I was definitely left wanting more; I wanted to know what happened next...” Shropshire Star “The Shoeshine” Wednesday 16 May 2012 @ 7.45 pm Aberystwyth Arts Centre Aberystwyth 01970 62 32 32 www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre |
| Aberystwyth Arts Centre web site: www.aber.ac.uk/artscentre |
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Tuesday, April 24, 2012 |
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