The Monthly interviews Patricia Downey from Spanner in the Works Theatre Company – “What If” and “Yellow Pack” – Part 2 – “Yellow Pack”

Your next work is called “Yellow Pack”?

Yes. That starts in the Duncairn Arts Centre on the 24th January and we have three days there, and then the play will tour and will be seen in many places across Northern Ireland.

What does the title refer to?

There is a supermarket which is promoting these yellow packs of food which are cheaper than other products and they are on the bottom shelves. So that is where the title came from but the play also looks at homelessness, addiction, and the situation where very vulnerable people are not getting any help at all. I want people to know how much people are struggling.

We can all see and we are all experiencing this cost of living crisis and there are many people experiencing that situation in the worst possible way. There will be at least 4 main characters and their stories and there will stories, as I’ve said, about homelessness, about addiction, and about the impact of not being able to pay the bills, and about how people can end up in court through no fault of their own.

Will this play tour as well?

Yes. We will take the play to prisons, to venues and we might look at taking this play to England in the way that we have taken other works recently.

We are always writing, producing new work and bringing new actors on as well as working with those actors who have been part of our previous productions. We have built up a good group of actors that the company works with on a regular basis and that allows us to keep producing our work.

Yellow Pack Schedule

Spanner in the Works Theatre Company presents Yellow Pack, written and directed by Patricia Downey.  

These are unprecedented times. The price of fuel is soaring. Wage packets don’t meet the basics. Interest rates are rising. People are having to choose between food or heating. But what about those already on the margins? We are witnessing new levels of poverty, homelessness, addiction-related death and severe mental illness. If you are not outraged, you’re not paying attention. We meet Fingers, nicknamed for being light fingered as he tries to find somewhere to get washed before he goes to court. Jade who has been homeless since leaving the care home is now addicted to drugs. To fund her self-destructive lifestyle she has turned to sex work. Elise mother of two who works 40 hours a week and is struggling to pay her rent.

Contact: patricia.downey@talk21.com – Mobile: 07719100245

Contains strong language and scenes that some might find upsetting. Suitable for 15+

Booking

Please book places using link below.

www.theduncairn.com/events/yellow-pack

  • Tues 24th Jan 2023 @8pm
  • Wed 25th Jan 2023 @8pm
  • Thurs 26th Jan 2023 @8pm

Duncairn Arts Centre, Duncairn Ave, Belfast BT14 6BP

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