The Great Escape Theatre
Company
PRESENTS
Joan of Kent
THE BRITISH RAILWAY MUSICAL BY HENRY LEWIS
THE CHANNEL RAIL LINK
In July 1988 a great wave of protest greeted British Rail's plan to build a high speed railway through Kent, linking the Channel Tunnel with London. Following two years of sustained and vigorous opposition the Secretary of State for Transport rejected the original plan by British Rail and a period of consultation began.
Eventually, in March 1993 a new route was announced, one which took into account some of the objections to the original line. By their efforts, the people of Kent have shown an unpopular scheme can be made more palatable. Their fervent hope is that with the use of the highest engineering skills, the line, when built, will set the standard for all such future projects.
Joan of Kent
This fictionalised account of the spontaneous opposition to an example of clumsy transport planning which causes an ordinary Maidstone Housewife, Joan Taylor, to hear 'Voices' in the supermarket. These tell her to oppose the building of the new line. The 'Voices' empower Joan with a new charismatic personality and she is able to draw enormous support. In the course of her campaign Joan infiltrates the highest offices of the land and sabotages a major PR presentation, designed to sell this unpopular project..... But has Joan been whistled away on a fast track?..... Has innocence gone out of the window?..... Who is the real traitor?
Is the pass on Kent finally sold?
- TAKE THE LINE FROM ME
- I'M A RAILWAYMAN
- THE BATTLE OF KENT
- HOT AIR AND HUMBUG
- THEY'VE GOT YOU TALKING
- RACY CONVERSATION
- COFFEE COMMERCIAL
- THE FILOFAX SONG
- WITHOUT EMOTION
- ALTOGETHER NOW EUROPE
- SPEECH
- VICTOR'S SONG
- FINALE
- RACE TO NOWHERE
What the critics said about ....
JOAN OF KENT
"Strikes a blow for the garden of England". THE GUARDIAN
"Witty and effervescent" THE INDEPENDENT
"This wonderful musical by Henry Lewis has to be one of the most improbable successes of the year ... there
is something delightfully and eccentrically British about the whole thing...
Thoroughly uplifting." TIME OUT
"Great Escape Theatre Company's production of Henry Lewis's eco-friendly musical is a hugely enjoyable show, with catchy tunes, spot-on lyrics and zestful acting by the whole cast ... (they) are to be congratulated on a small-scale musical of such big appeal" THE STAGE
Last updated: October 31, 1999.
Email me: Henry
Henry Lewis
Theatre
of the Wheel,
33
Regent's Park Road
London
NW1 7TL
TEL:- 020-7485-5431
FAX:- 020-7428-0955