Sell-out Wanderers play returns to The Octagon

10:19am Thursday 11th March 2010

Exclusive By Kat Dibbits

AS the opening production of the Octagon’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Les Smith and Martin Thomasson’s And Did Those Feet played to sell out audiences and won a host of awards.

Now the play is returning to its birthplace — and a few familiar faces are back, too.

Mark Babych is once more in the director’s seat, having left the theatre in the more-than capable hands of David Thacker when he left as artistic director last year, after a decade at the Octagon.

And Did Those Feet tells the story of Martha Platt, whose wedding day plans look set to be ruined because everyone — including the vicar — is more interested in attending the FA Cup final, where Bolton Wanderers are set to take on West Ham United.

Behind the scenes revolution, grief and hope combine to make this a warm, funny and moving play.

Set in 1923, which was a time of social and political upheaval across the country, And Did Those Feet received massive acclaim when it first opened in 2007.

Bolton-born Chris says it did feel slightly odd to be back at the Octagon in the same role.

“On the first day there was a slight sense of deja-vu — has it really been two and a half years?” he says. “But right from day one it was clear that it wasn’t going to be the same, we’ve approached it in a completely new way. There are new cast members which makes such a difference to the way you act and react to each other and the characters’ motivations change.”

Chris plays the part of Billy, a role made all the more difficult because his character isn’t actually alive at the time of the play — he died in the trenches during the First World War, leaving his parents trying to deal with their grief.

“You have to ask yourself, is he a projection of his dad’s imagination or is he a real spirit,” Chris says. “In my mind it’s a bit of both.”

Amid the excitement about the Cup Final, the story of Billy and his parents is a sobering reminder that the war had left many families devastated.

“The story of Alf and Hilda mourning that loss was a very common one — it’s partly about how tragic it is for a couple to lose their son, and how they have very different ways of dealing with it,” says Chris. “Billy was a promising footballer — he could well have gone on to play in that final.

“The thing that strikes me is the resonance with the community of Bolton today — what those people in 1923 were dealing with we’re going through now. There were problems with the economy, they were dealing with the aftermath of the war. The themes and the values absolutely reflect the values of today.”

And he says the play will appeal to football-lovers and non football-lovers alike.

“Whilst the focus of the play is Bolton Wanderers winning the cup in 1923, it’s more about the community at the time — the different experiences they were having and the passion for football that brings people together and heals them,” says Chris.

Chris will be familiar to fans of Coronation Street for his role as Karl Foster, the male nurse who embarked on a clandestine relationship with Todd Grimshaw when Todd was still coming to terms with his sexuality.

He says that although he knew when he took on the role it would raise some eyebrows, he felt it would be worthwhile — as it has certainly turned out to be.

“I think they knew they were going to spark some controversy, but at the same time it’s a true reflection of Manchester’s community — Manchester has a thriving gay community,” he says.

“There was a lot of reaction, but I think because I was ready for it mentally I quite enjoyed it — people were coming up to me in the street and praising me. I knew that an audience who watched Coronation Street would go through what Karl and Todd went through and would understand it.

“One guy came up to me while I was in the queue in the supermarket. He said his son had just come out and if it hadn’t been for us on Coronation Street he might have reacted very differently. He had tears in his eyes while he was thanking me.”

• And Did Those Feet opens tonight and runs until Saturday, April 10. Tickets £9-£18.50. To book, visit octagonbolton.co.uk or ring 01204 520661.