Manchester-based theatre company Box of Tricks return with their new production SparkPlug at Home Manchester.
Box of Tricks is written by and stars David Judge. Joint Artistic Director of Box of Tricks, Hannah Tyrrell-Pinder, directs the production.
SparkPlug will open at Home Manchester, running for 10 days before going out on an extensive 18-venue tour, culminating in Birmingham in April.
What is SparkPlug about?
SparkPlug is set in 1983 Manchester. Dave loves Rod Stewart, Joanne and his Ford Capri. He’s ready for a new start, but Joann’s about to have someone else’s baby. Is Dave ready to become a dad, even though he’s not the father?
SparkPlug is the story of a white man who becomes the adoptive father, mother and best friend of a mixed-race child, David. It’s a punchy and poetic exploration of family, race, identity and love. The play was a finalist for the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play 2017. This lyrical and energetic monologue from Manchester-based dual heritage writer David Judge examines what family means today. Inspired by autobiographical events and exploring the playwright’s background as an actor and spoken word artist, it explores racism, violence and masculinity
Speaking about the production, David Judge commented, “As a ‘man of colour’ my voice as a writer has become a valued weapon, loaded and aimed at those without. As a ‘man of colour’ I sometimes feel pressured to speak for a community I know nothing of and feel I am being recruited to hate those without, the ‘white man’. This fight both inside and outside of myself makes me question where my loyalties lie. Who am I loyal to? And who is loyal to me?
“The answers are straight forward; my biological Father, my ‘Black’ left me before I was born; my biological Mother, my ‘Blood’ left me when I was seven years old; the only person who stuck by me, from boy to man, who grew and shaped me into the man I am today was a white man. A white man with love and hate tattooed on his knuckles, with a ginger perm, with a Ford Capri, with Rod Stewart constantly on the stereo. So out of my loyalty to him, I have used my voice to write a play about the man who made me one. My Father. I hope it’s enjoyed.”
When does SparkPlug run at Home Manchester?
SparkPlug runs at Home Manchester from 13 February until 23 February 2019
