| Description | Material relating to the stage production Stags and Hens, which was subsequently made into a film entitled Dancin' Thru the Dark.
The series includes manuscripts for the Manchester Polytechnic version of Stags and Hens, and draft and final manuscripts for Dancin’ Thru The Dark. Some of the draft versions feature the title Writing in the Wall, one of the early titles considered for the film. It contains publicity and media material, and correspondence and legal documents relating to both the initial approach for the film rights from America and the production eventually filmed in 1989.
In 1978 Stags and Hens was written as a television play for Manchester Polytechnic Schools of Theatre and Film/Television, but the project was not completed and the film was never produced. The Liverpool Everyman Theatre commissioned Willy Russell to re-write the script for a stage production and presented Stags and Hens in October 1978, directed by Chris Bond. It has since been performed in repertory theatre around the country and in the USA, Canada and Australia. In 1982 was presented at the Liverpool Playhouse, directed by Pip Broughton and featuring Andrew Schofield, Mick Maloney, Brian Regan, Bill Leadbitter, Daniel Webb, Gareth Williams, Steven Mathers & Peter Wild, Mia Soteriou, Noreen Kershaw, Judy Holt, Kate Fitzgerald and Angela Walsh. In 1984, a Stags and Hens was staged at The Young Vic Theatre, London, directed by David Thacker and featuring Matthew Marsh, Peter Christian, Anne Miles, Noreen Kershaw, Ray Kingsley, Nick Maloney, Graham Fellows, Eithne Browne, Kate Fitzgerald, Gilly Coman and Andrew Seacombe.
In 2008, Stags and Hens was presented at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool in a form described as a ‘remix’, rewritten and updated by Willy Russell as part of the Royal Court Theatre’s Liverpool Capital of Culture season. The cast has also at various times featured Miranda Richardson, Andrew Taylor and Carole Ruggier.
Although approached by American Producer Richard Kramer, who was interested in the film rights for Stags and Hens, the film version was eventually made by British production company Foremost Films in 1989. Re-titled Dancin’ Thru The Dark, it was produced for Palace Pictures by Foremost Films and the BBC, produced by Andree Molyneux and Annie Russell, directed by Mike Ockrent and featured Julia Deakin, Claire Hackett, Con O’Neill, Conrad Nelson, Louise Duprey, Sandy Hendricks, Angela Clarke, Simon O’Brien, Andrew Naylor, Peter Watts, Mark Womack, Colin Welland, Peter Beckett, Julian Littman and Ben Murphy. The film was broadcast by the BBC in 1990. In addition to the screenplay, Willy Russell wrote the music and lyrics for the songs featured in the film. An EP single was released featuring songs from the film sung by Con O’Neill.
This material was created by Willy Russell, or in the course of processes relating to the production of works by Willy Russell. |