🎭 The Must-See Local Play of the Year Hits the Stage This July!
We all have those moments, mind-numbingly going through paperwork until one random innocuous piece sparks a recollection of something, and memories come flooding back. Meet Ben — a nervous, self-employed man facing his worst fear: his tax return. But as he sifts through a shoebox of receipts, each one sparks a story. What starts as paperwork quickly becomes a journey through memory, identity, masculinity, and the moments that shape us.
South Street Arts Centre will play host this July to a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience: The Man by Olivier Award-winning writer James Graham (Dear England, Ink, Punch). Funny, moving, and quietly powerful, The Man is a rare gem of a play — and it’s coming to Reading for two nights only. Starring rising local talent Ben Lewis, whose credits include Matilda (Cambridge Theatre), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal), and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Ambassadors Theatre), this show marks his final UK performance before beginning his Master’s in Acting.
But there’s a twist to this plot, Ben the actor doesn’t get to pick which receipts are in that shoebox, you the audience get to pick them. Then you can sit and watch the play with perhaps an unexpected edge. Will Ben pick that receipt you selected to be the one that sparks a ,memory in his mind? Perhaps it sparked something in your mind, I wonder what the synergy will be?
Directed by local theatre-maker Matt Whitelock, and supported by grassroots company B&M Productions, The Man is a celebration of emerging talent, local storytelling, and the magic of live performance. This sort of production is the whole reason why I started this website, to help promote live grassroots theatre, because when I started out as a freelance copywriter it was local; theatres that helped me grow, gave me practical assistance with interviewing, and now I can pay that back and help live theatre grow back to it’s former glory post covid.
Why You Should Book Now:
✔️ It’s only on for two nights
✔️ You’re supporting the next generation of actors
✔️ It’s sharp, heartfelt and surprisingly hilarious
✔️ You’ll never look at a receipt the same way again
🎭 The Man
🗓️ 3rd & 4th July
📍 South Street Arts Centre, Reading
🎟️ Tickets from £16
🔗 Book Now
Follow The Man’s journey on Instagram – @THE_MAN_THE_PLAY
