An actress has been pulling pints behind a north-east bar – to prepare for a play set in a working-class pub.
Jess Johnson – along with co-star Christopher Price – called in at the John Duck pub in Durham City to get a feel for delivering a performance set in a north-east boozer.
The pair were rehearsing for Two, a bar-based drama penned by northern playwright Jim Cartwright, which will be staged in Durham City’s Gala Theatre.
In Two, Jess and Christopher will play a total of 14 characters between them, ranging from a landlord and landlady to an elderly couple.
Though Two was originally set in the north west, director Tom Wright has relocated the play’s action to Durham City to allow the two actors to draw on their own north-east backgrounds.
Jess Johnson said, “Like a lot of actors, I’ve worked in pubs for the best part of my life on and off so I know my way around a bar, but it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to perform in one.”
“Putting on the costumes and running lines in these familiar surroundings and imagining the smells and sounds of a real pub helps to bring that extra authenticity to the roles, and both me and Chris will take that into our performances at the Gala.”
Two will be performed at the Durham Gala Theatre from Tuesday 2nd October to Saturday October 6th. The play will begin at 7.30 pm, but on Thursday and Saturday there will be additional performances at 2.30 pm.
Tickets are priced at £15.00, £13.00 for concessions. Gala members can see the first night or the matinee shows for £12.00.
To learn more or to book tickets, please visit www.galadurham.co.uk or telephone 03000 266 600.
(All the images in this article show Christopher Price and Jess Johnson rehearsing for Two in Durham City’s John Duck pub.)
