New Observational Dramedy Sheds Light On Working Class Struggles In Creative Arts

New two-act play, penned by working class writer and actor, Lana O'Kell, after workshopped rehearsals this summer, is premiering at the King's Arms Theatre in Manchester before further productions in other cities around the UK in 2020.

Produced by A Fish in the Sea, a new theatre company which focuses on bringing opportunities in the creative arts to working class women, Drain is a play written by the working classes, about the working classes, for the working classes.

Set in a town in the UK over the course of summer 2018, against the backdrop of the world cup and scorching heat, the play tells the tale of five friends, exploring the extra struggles working class creatives face as they have to balance their passion for their career against the lack of money and a need to earn a living, as travel costs, day jobs (or lack of) and location limit their ability to follow their dream. The play also explores the current and constant state of unemployment across the UK as well as the devastating effect Universal Credit has on it's applicants.

Despite the many serious and thought-provoking points the play makes, it is filled with a dry humour that has come to be associated with the working classes and their ability to make the best of a bad situation, showing how even the darkest moments can still hold a slither of hope.

The play is directed by Kazia Cannon, a female director from a working class background, in keeping with the theatre company's ethos, and the play also features a predominantly female cast. Lana O'Kell, who is also the founder of the theatre company, has previously written comedy sketches and short plays for the stage, as well as scripts for short film, and Drain is her first, feature-length piece. It is inspired by her own experiences as a working class creative as well as the experiences of colleagues, friends and those she interviewed in the research stage of the play's development.

Starring Jon Massey, Lana O'Kell, Mary Taylor, Selina Helliwell and Alisa Belonogina.

20th-22nd September 2019, 7.30pm. King's Arms Theatre, 11 Bloom St, Salford, M3 6AN. Tickets for 20th and 21st: £10. Tickets for 22nd: £5.
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