Boff Whalley one of the writers of the musical was formerly in Chumbawamba who had a huge hit with Tubthumping (I Get Knocked Down) Lyrics (youtube.com) Boff grew up in Burnley on Rossendale road, and was a recent guest on Rev Alex Frost's Podcast called The God Cast.
The two have kept in touch and now, in his work as a playright for
Sanctuary - Red Ladder Theatre Company, are bringing a production of 'Sanctuary' to St Matthew's church later this month on the 26th September at 7.30pm
Traditionally, churches across the world have offered sanctuary to those seeking safety from persecution. But how do we react when that ideal becomes a reality?
When Alland, a young Iranian man, begs to be given sanctuary at St Mary’s church in a northern town, it sparks a community to react in all the ways each member believes to be right. Molly, a young worker there, joins forces with vicar Fiona to resist both the angry vigilantes and the hard-hearted authorities beyond the church walls to try to protect Alland.
Holding a special community service where voices on all sides sing their songs of redemption and condemnation, Fiona asks the question to everyone present: do we give Alland over to the State or live up to our well-versed ideals of compassion?
Sanctuary is a brand-new musical that welcomes us in and asks the question: do we want safety and freedom for only ourselves, or for us all? A vital story of one man’s hopes for help and support in a time when not all strangers are welcomed.
With a chorus drawn from students at Wakefield’s CAPA College, Boff Whalley (‘We’re Not Going Back’) and Sarah Woods’ musical mixes hard-hitting ideas with memorable melodic tunes and harmonies.
Come on in – the Service is about to begin…
Kindly supported by the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s Safer Communities Fund.
All performances will be captioned via The Difference Engine, a tool that enables d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people to read performance captions on their phone.
Age guidance 12+
Warning: violence & violent, aggressive, threatening behaviour. Derogatory language about immigrants and some ethnic minorities.
Tickets are available via this link SANCTUARY - Red Ladder Theatre Company Tickets, Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 7:30 PM | Eventbrite