The challenge
The end of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bookends’ and the start of ‘Old Friends’ are linked by a loooooong note that holds and suddenly drops an octave. For me this note represented death, bridging a song about old men on a bench, and another about memories being all that’s left you. I wanted to dramatise that.
What we did
I wrote a simple, one act two-hander, about an hour long, about two old men on a park bench, reunited after a time apart. It was directed by Olly Lambert, a friend from university, who has gone on to make a number of brilliant TV documentaries. It opened at the Man in the Moon Theatre in Chelsea, on 15th August 1995. Ron was played by Ken Ratcliffe, Bill was played by Kevin Laffan. They were both great but Laffan was astonishing. He was also a writer, the creator of Emmerdale Farm, and his name still appears on the credits to this day.
What happened next
Well, it did make people cry, and it was a strange feeling to sit in a dark corner of the theatre and witness that. After the run, the phone rang: the play publishers Samuel French had been to see it, and wanted to publish it. I know it’s been put on a number of times since its publication, in Yorkshire, Edinburgh and the Midlands at least. The play was also translated into Dutch.
But probably the best of all was to get an email from the director of a village theatre in Yorkshire. Forgive my self indulgence, but I’ve put it down in full below. I nearly burst with pride.
The play can be purchased from Samuel French / Concord for £8.99.
