The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights
All poster imagery by Darren McGinn
It's the controversial play that defies all synopsis attempts! Because that's what you're looking for right? A synopsis that tells you exactly what this play is about. So before I attempt to do that I'm going to tell you the show has played countless shows down the years since 2007, the play that loved by critics and audiences alike. The play that had me compared to Martin Scorsese, Jimmy McGovern, Jim Cartwright, Stephen King, Wim Wenders, Paul Abbot and quite a few other very respected names in 'the business'.
It took until 2023 to get me - and all my works - banned for life as a creative...in Wakefield.
This after the show had produced the biggest drama audience in ages for that theatre, the show that the audience were applauding between the scenes, and cheering at the end. Yes, for all of that this particular theatre banned me and all of my works. It's really funny and has given me some kind of notoriety - completely undeserved by the way, I'm no Chubby Brown. And there's no way so many critics and audiences wouldn't have complained before, you know? Makes you want to see it now though, doesn't it? Notoriety works - ask The Sex Pistols. So yeah, think of me as a bad boy of theatre - come on - I want a little rock n roll y'know?
It took until 2023 to get me - and all my works - banned for life as a creative...in Wakefield.
This after the show had produced the biggest drama audience in ages for that theatre, the show that the audience were applauding between the scenes, and cheering at the end. Yes, for all of that this particular theatre banned me and all of my works. It's really funny and has given me some kind of notoriety - completely undeserved by the way, I'm no Chubby Brown. And there's no way so many critics and audiences wouldn't have complained before, you know? Makes you want to see it now though, doesn't it? Notoriety works - ask The Sex Pistols. So yeah, think of me as a bad boy of theatre - come on - I want a little rock n roll y'know?
Pic by Darren McGinn
It's a fact though that everywhere we go with this play it gets us cheered off the stage at the end, audiences left with either tears in their eyes or big grins on their faces, all applauding, all cheering - I mean, what more do you want from a night at the theatre? Ban the bastard!
So yeah, that synopsis. What can I say? It's a slice of life comedy drama built from urban grit and painted with a little of the strange and supernatural. Critically acclaimed the play will move you to laughter, horror and tears. It will have you gripped from start to finish. It's 12 months, 12 scenes, 1 park bench, 1 war memorial, 1 bin - and oh yes, 16 characters played by 6 incredibly talented actors. It's more of a mathematical equation than a synopsis right? But it adds up to so much more than the sum of its parts. It is - as so many audience members have said down the years - magic.
So yeah, that synopsis. What can I say? It's a slice of life comedy drama built from urban grit and painted with a little of the strange and supernatural. Critically acclaimed the play will move you to laughter, horror and tears. It will have you gripped from start to finish. It's 12 months, 12 scenes, 1 park bench, 1 war memorial, 1 bin - and oh yes, 16 characters played by 6 incredibly talented actors. It's more of a mathematical equation than a synopsis right? But it adds up to so much more than the sum of its parts. It is - as so many audience members have said down the years - magic.
Reviews
Pic by Shay Rowan
Written, produced and directed by Joe O’Byrne, this sharp and telling play features all manner of fascinating characters whose lives and loves intersect over the course of a year near a park bench. Highly recommended and a play and writer that will surely go on to great things.
Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
The cast are brilliant, and the stories too, the costume and accent changes are amazing, in the literal blink of an eye they are someone different. The show enchants you, thrills you, chills you, haunts you and will break your heart.
John Kristof, Number9Reviews
Like Jim Cartwright, O’Byrne has a knack of finding poetry in the most ordinary situations: he also has real affection for his characters, and they feel like flesh and blood people.
Steve Timms, whatsonstage.com
Magnificent production...wickedly delightful...wonderfully comic...terrifyingly magnificent. A diverse array of characters played by six actors at the top of their game.
Rick Lane, Staffordshire Theatre Guide
The quality of production and script that we would expect to see on the main stage of one of our region's leading theatres.
David Chadderton, British Theatre Guide
O’Byrne makes us care about these characters as people, and his direction is faultless. There are no histrionics, no patronizing of his audience, and no overt moralizing in this snapshot of 21st century life on the streets of ‘broken Britain’. The Bench is giving it to us like it is no frills theatre with balls and undiluted attitude.
Brian Gorman, thepublicreviews.com
Therein lies the skill in Joe O'Byrne's writing; not just fantastic dialogue, but like all great scripting, it is in what the characters in The Bench do not say, or say without meaning to, that reveals their flaws, hopes, dreams and terrors.
Colin Warhurst, Siab Studios
When are TV commissioners going to wake up and find Joe O'Byrne?
Stephen Kingston, Salford Star Magazine
Loved it! Wonderful gags out of left field, intrigue, suspense, heart-rending scenes and heart-warming moments. A great night of theatre! Do more!
David Slack, Manchester 24/7 Theatre Festival
Kevin Bourke, Manchester Evening News
The cast are brilliant, and the stories too, the costume and accent changes are amazing, in the literal blink of an eye they are someone different. The show enchants you, thrills you, chills you, haunts you and will break your heart.
John Kristof, Number9Reviews
Like Jim Cartwright, O’Byrne has a knack of finding poetry in the most ordinary situations: he also has real affection for his characters, and they feel like flesh and blood people.
Steve Timms, whatsonstage.com
Magnificent production...wickedly delightful...wonderfully comic...terrifyingly magnificent. A diverse array of characters played by six actors at the top of their game.
Rick Lane, Staffordshire Theatre Guide
The quality of production and script that we would expect to see on the main stage of one of our region's leading theatres.
David Chadderton, British Theatre Guide
O’Byrne makes us care about these characters as people, and his direction is faultless. There are no histrionics, no patronizing of his audience, and no overt moralizing in this snapshot of 21st century life on the streets of ‘broken Britain’. The Bench is giving it to us like it is no frills theatre with balls and undiluted attitude.
Brian Gorman, thepublicreviews.com
Therein lies the skill in Joe O'Byrne's writing; not just fantastic dialogue, but like all great scripting, it is in what the characters in The Bench do not say, or say without meaning to, that reveals their flaws, hopes, dreams and terrors.
Colin Warhurst, Siab Studios
When are TV commissioners going to wake up and find Joe O'Byrne?
Stephen Kingston, Salford Star Magazine
Loved it! Wonderful gags out of left field, intrigue, suspense, heart-rending scenes and heart-warming moments. A great night of theatre! Do more!
David Slack, Manchester 24/7 Theatre Festival
Pic by Darren McGinn
THE BENCH: The Novel
I've finally written my first novel.
I've been threatening to do it for decades. I decided to take my play THE BENCH and transform that into my first novel.
To tell a tale laid out in twelve months, twelve chapters and show more of the world that the constraints of a stage would not allow. But as I revisited the characters I found so much more in them, and a much more vivid world than I'd originally imagined and therefore there is much more here than in the play. It's a fully formed world and it has many seeds sewn for future novels, future Tales from Paradise Heights. I have a great sense of achievement as the novel has always been just out of my grasp. Not any more. I'm bitten by the bug and there will be more novels to come, more Tales from Paradise Heights in novel form.
The play has always been much loved by audiences, some seeing the production five times or more in prestige venues like Salford's The Lowry, The Octagon Theatre, Bolton and The Library Theatre in Manchester. The reviews for the play have always been glowing so it seemed a good cornerstone to build a series of novels around. I'm glad I chose it, I've loved writing it.
Thank you all, the actors, audiences, technicians, photographers, film crews, reviewers, and theatres without whom I would not have reached this point. And a HUGE thank you to the great Martine Cole for reading the book and giving me a lovely quote.
I'm obviously looking for reviewers, publicists and publishers now, but for now here's a link to the ebook novel online.
www.amazon.co.uk/Bench-Tale-Paradise-Heights-Tales-ebook/dp/B013VNYZOY
Joe x
This page is a work in progress...14/08/2023
I've been threatening to do it for decades. I decided to take my play THE BENCH and transform that into my first novel.
To tell a tale laid out in twelve months, twelve chapters and show more of the world that the constraints of a stage would not allow. But as I revisited the characters I found so much more in them, and a much more vivid world than I'd originally imagined and therefore there is much more here than in the play. It's a fully formed world and it has many seeds sewn for future novels, future Tales from Paradise Heights. I have a great sense of achievement as the novel has always been just out of my grasp. Not any more. I'm bitten by the bug and there will be more novels to come, more Tales from Paradise Heights in novel form.
The play has always been much loved by audiences, some seeing the production five times or more in prestige venues like Salford's The Lowry, The Octagon Theatre, Bolton and The Library Theatre in Manchester. The reviews for the play have always been glowing so it seemed a good cornerstone to build a series of novels around. I'm glad I chose it, I've loved writing it.
Thank you all, the actors, audiences, technicians, photographers, film crews, reviewers, and theatres without whom I would not have reached this point. And a HUGE thank you to the great Martine Cole for reading the book and giving me a lovely quote.
I'm obviously looking for reviewers, publicists and publishers now, but for now here's a link to the ebook novel online.
www.amazon.co.uk/Bench-Tale-Paradise-Heights-Tales-ebook/dp/B013VNYZOY
Joe x
This page is a work in progress...14/08/2023
