Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Last Dance on the Riviera
Emerging local playwright Chris Berry will be staging his debut play, Last Dance on the Riviera at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre this July.
Anyone with an affinity with the 1930s and a penchant for suspense and romance is clearly in for a treat. The production combines a spy story with a love story in the build up to World War II, incorporating eye-catching costumes and specially written jazz tracks - sung by West Yorkshire thespian legend Hannah Head.
Chris Berry only begun writing himself eight years ago, when he started contributing sketches to the Little Theatre's annual Christmas concerts.
He says, "With this new play I aimed to create something I wanted to see at the theatre, and it's a genre I really love. But I have found that writing is the easy bit, because putting it on involves so many different factors. I'm on a learning curve and enjoying the process."
Any profits realised go towards a door split for the company and a donation to Overgate Hospice. So, the project is as much about artistic as commercial ambition and, should things go to plan, he has other plays in the pipeline.
Any inspiring thoughts for aspiring playwrights? Chris Berry says,"Mixing with the right people helps, and you can get ideas from acting in plays and talking to other actors. Even getting involved with backstage can help you learn about how to structure a play and see how things work in a live environment."
As it was Hebden Bridge Little Theatre's Centenary in 2024, the playwright debutant says he is extremely proud to be staging this production on the same stage where he first cut his teeth as an actor, observing that "It feels like things have come full circle."
Tickets for Last Dance on the Riviera, on at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre between July 9 and July 12, can be purchased for £15 (£12 concessions) from www.hblt.co.uk
Previously, at The Little Theatre
See this HebWeb page of some previous Little Theatre reports