The Big Corner

The Octagon

until May 5

AUDIENCES are taken on a nostalgic journey of Bolton through the years as the curtain prepares to go down at the Octagon Theatre for a multi-million pound transformation project.

Award-winning director Lawrence Till returns to the Octagon, where he was artistic director from 1992 to 1999, to stage his play The Big Corner.

And his love for the town shines through in this heartwarming and uplifting comedy celebrating Bolton, its people its heritage and its own fabulous uniqueness.

The coming-of-age play, written by Lawrence, is inspired by the writings and memoirs of Bolton's most famous literary son, Bill Naughton.

Audiences will recognise Naughton's characters Spit Nolan, Alfie Elkins and the story of Seeing A Beauty Queen Home as they follow the adventures of Bill and Alf, growing up in Bolton.

The play takes in the familiar streets of Bolton, its landmarks and its theatres, bringing back memories for many of the audience.

Humour dominates the first half of the play — a girl bringing a man back to her grandma' flat, chatting up girls in the Palais battling with your faith —before it adopts a more serious and somewhat darker tone in the second half as issues of friendship, death and heartbreak are explored.

The strong cast of five bring the character of Bolton — it's people and places — alive beautifully, engaging the audience right from the start until the very end, mostly due to Dan Parr's portrayal of Bill, with most of us being able to relate to his character in someway.

Alfie, played by Harry Long, and Bill's friendship echoes that of many male friendships — the interaction between them is simply superb.

Octagon regular Jess Baglow never fails to impress in her roles and this time it is her voice which takes centre stage.

Spit Nolan, played by Mitesh Soni brings laughs a plenty to the play showcasing his versatility as an actor. Lauren Samuels' strong yet sympathetic depiction of Jenny is of a strong northern lass who carries on regardless of what challenges life throws at her.

What better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Octagon than by staging this"love letter" to Bolton.