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To be Frank...

8/31/2012

Now here's a character I thought I knew. I've written him, played him on stage and screen. But I've NEVER approached him like this before. Director IAN CURLEY has a new and novel take on the play and I've never been more fired up for something. It's going to be really interesting watching this coming to life, the same words in a script but from a whole new perspective and place. This is a Frank Morgan no one will have seen before. I can't wait, join us on the 14th October at The Octagon Theatre's Bill Naughton studio and see what it's like...to be Frank.

Of course there's also the added bonus of the short film THE WATCHER that revisits Frank 10 years on from the events of the play...a great Tales from Paradise Heights Stage and Screen Double Bill.

You can book your tickets here:

https://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/145/Im-Frank-Morgan/480

Press release below, and if you can share it that would be great, thank you.

Joe x

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KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON: A Salford Story at The Lowry

8/23/2012

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I was recently commissioned by Jacqui Carroll of REELmcr to write a play set in World War 2. Jacqui runs REELMcr alongside partner and co-director Terry Egan and they have carried out some stunning work on film over the years, from National Heritage projects, school projects and community projects, some really commendable work, every community should have a Jacqui Carroll and Terry Egan. http://www.reelmcr.co.uk/AboutUs.htm

A play set  in a Salford air raid shelter around the months leading up to the devastating Salford Blitz of December 1940. The play was to be performed by the Lower Kersal Young People's Group. A young people's group ranging from the ages of 9 up to 84. As well as writing the play I was invited by the inspirational Jacqui Carroll to co-direct the play alongside her.

Lower Kersal Young People's group is ran by Tommy Lever, and his wife Lesley and a small committee based at St. Aiden's Church, Salford. This committee through Tommy and Lesley have carried out some wonderful youth work over the years, from short films, allotments, cookery class's and for the first time, a stage play.

I first met the group in mid June this year. I was immedaitely struck by the 'family feel' of this group, right across that age group from 9 to 84. They all live in Lower Kersal, a community like many that has it's problems, I live in a community just like it in Bolton. But what I felt from day one with this group was an amazing togetherness, a kinship, it was like one huge family of 25 to 30 people, and they have supported each other through some real personal tragedy's and times of hardship. I was more than touched by it all and made welcome from my first day.

After doing some research on war time Salford and working on a few improvisations with them ( and they had many great ideas of their own) I wrote the play over a period of six days, one of the fastest pieces of writing I had ever done. When we had people laughing and crying at the read throgh I knew we had something that could really move people. Now we had to set about the business of getting a group of 20 of them who had never acted on stage before, ready for a performance at The Lowry Quays Theatre.

They were more than up for it, throwing themselves into it and working hard alonside each other over the rehearsal period. I've done a lot of directing for theatre with professional actors, I can honestly say that this was no different, they responded well to direction, threw in ideas and suggestions of their own, hit their marks, found their light, improvised around dropped lines - simply, for Jacqui and I it was a delight to do, meanwhile IAN CURLEY was designing and building an incredibly detailed Salford World War 2 Bunker set for the production.

On the night of the performance the group knocked it out of the park before a 400 strong audience and recieved a standing ovation at the end of the play. I was watching in the wings and it was such a thrill to see them out there all supporting each other, belting it out, and most importantly enjoying themselves. We have recieved many plaudits and congratualtions since the play, and I can confirm that because of all this that this is not a one-off performance. The play will return. Stay tuned for a further announcement soon on the return of KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON by The Lower Kersal Young People's Group.

So, what has this got to do with Tales from Paradise Heights? Well I already have on the drawing board a tale I'm sketching out, set in the 1960's in Paradise Heights; and after the great experience I had on working with Lower Kersal Young People's Group I was inspired. I'm now thinking of setting a tale in war time Paradise Heights.

Below are some wonderful pics of the performance by Michelle Bailey.

Joe O'Byrne

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First meet with I'M FRANK MORGAN Director Ian Curley

8/23/2012

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Ian Curley

Ian has been Co-Producer on Tales from Paradise Heights for around the last 3-4 years. A tremendously versatile actor himself and an amazing set builder. Ian is also a very talented Director, and three years ago he did an amazing job directing me in I'M FRANK MORGAN at The Lowry. That performance was the first multi media version, of the play and it went extremely well. It was Ian's idea to do it as a mullti media play.

We had our first get together yesterday on I'M FRANK MORGAN 2012. Ian has had another idea. An amazing new vision for the play. It's an idea that has filled me with fear and excitement, the adrenalyne is pumping again, and it's a fantastic challenge for us both to get our teeth into.

There will be those that have seen the play before, maybe even both versions of the play (Jo Carlon directed a version for the 24/7 Theatre Festival in 2005, again she did a great job).
This is a rebirth. I'M FRANK MORGAN 2012 is going to be something really special, and a Frank Morgan that no one has seen before.

It's on for one night, Friday 14th September 7.30 pm at THE OCTAGON THEATRE, BOLTON - details in the blog posts below and elsewhere on this (ahem) NEW WEBSITE. I'd really get those tickets booked if you are a Tales from Paradise Heights fan or if you are new to the series. We're gonna have one helluva show for you.

And of course...there's the film THE WATCHER afterwards, revisiting the same character, again details below.

Hope to see you on the 14th September...

Joe x

PS A note on this new website. I'm adding further pages over the next few days and also additional links particularly to those creatives I have worked with before. If you would like your link adding please email me your url at [email protected], and if anyone out there would like to add Tales from Paradise Heights to their website links it would be much appreicated.

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Return of The Shark...

8/21/2012

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Well the website is now up and running, all my own work through weebly.com - a GREAT website building utility for those with zero programming skills, if I can do this, anybody can. I'd obviously love your feedback on the site, I will be adding links to websites of fellow professionals, friends and agencies, theatre's etc.

The site's url is http://www.talesfromparadiseheights.com/index.html

Leave me a comment below if you can.

In the meantime the Great White Shark has returned...I"M FRANK MORGAN (details below).

In the double dip recession we are all enduring, loan sharks are on the rise again. So Frank is very much a man for our times. This is a great opportunity to see the story that launched the series Tales from Paradise Heights, the play is a very different animal from the film of the same name. Tales from Paradise Heights Co-Producer IAN CURLEY is directing and DARREN McGINN is involved in the new sequences we are shooting for the multi media play, and there is a bonus for the evening with the screening of THE WATCHER, the film that revisits Frank 10 years on. THE WATCHER also has very strong links to the play RANK, set on the same Halloween evening in Paradise Heights. A fantastic Tales from Paradise Heights Stage and Screen Double Bill at The Fantastic OCTAGON THEATRE, Bolton. More info and booking here:

https://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/145/Im-Frank-Morgan/480

It would be lovely to see you there...

Joe x

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Hello from Tales from Paradise Heights

8/20/2012

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Joe O'Byrne, Creator, Tales from Paradise Heights

Hello and welcome to a new home for Tales from Paradise Heights. There's a whole lot more stuff I need to get on here, video, music, galleries, articles, reviews, press, links to fellow professionals and friends sites, and most importantly credits for those involved in all the tales so far. As you can appreciate it's a lengthy process but I'll get there an update you all as I go.

Please share or leave me a comment, tweet about it, facebook about it, email about it but get the messages out there that this is the first place to come now for all things Tales from Paradise Heights. Ther will be numerous tweeks, and changes over the coming weeks as I get more used to how all this runs, I'd love to do more now but I really need to get cracking on the chap below, coming to The Octagon Theatre on 14th September, directed by IAN CURLEY...more details to follow....Joe x

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To be Frank...

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON: A Salford Story at The Lowry

First meet with I'M FRANK MORGAN Director Ian Curley

Return of The Shark...

Hello from Tales from Paradise Heights

Joe O'Byrne

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