When eighteen-year-old Danny is fatally stabbed in a random attack, his family struggles to find meaning and forgiveness. His father is sightless through loss and rage. His brother, marginalized, dejected and alone. Such is the plot of UEA DramaSoc’s latest production The Long Road.
Director Keith Brown talks to Venue about the content of The Long Road and how it appealed to him: “The Long Road can be, broadly, considered as an exploration of grief, and I was particularly attracted to the complexity and humanity of the characters. The central aspect of losing a family member to a random act of violence is also something that we see in the news on a tragically frequent basis. Shelagh Stevenson has written some beautiful parts with real depth, in a situation that is very present. These are things that I think are always a joy for actors and directors to explore.”
This is Keith Brown’s first DramaSoc production, having taken a break from theatre to begin his PHD. The Long Road is a play that he’s been interested on working on for a while, as he explains: “The Long Road is a play that has been bouncing around at the back of mind for a year or so. The cast however, have only had four weeks to get to grips with the text. It has been a busy, but fruitful rehearsal schedule.”
The themes of the play seem quite dark and serious, yet Keith assures us that there are funny moments that help the story as a whole. “The humorous interludes and honesty of the characters mean that The Long Road doesn’t spend it’s time dragging you into a pit of despair. Instead you’re left with the sense of having been on a journey.”
The Long Road promises to be a challenging, funny and current end to DramaSoc’s semester. It starts tonight so get yourself a ticket and escape the crush of our last deadlines for some theatre!
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