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The Green, Green Grass of Home: Mr Jones An Aberfan Story - Finborough Theatre

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A life of hope and promise, interrupted, lies at the heart of Mr Jones: an Aberfan Story. The play follows two young people in Aberfan before and after the disaster that killed 144 people, including 116 children. It’s an emotional coming-of-age tale of intersecting lives, family, love, and the shock of tragedy. With two vivid performances and strong characterisations, you feel immersed in 1960s Welsh small-town life. It’s now running at the Finborough Theatre , after performances at the Edinburgh Festival and across Wales.  The Aberfan disaster is well known in the UK but perhaps less so elsewhere. The facts of the tragedy are confined to the programme notes rather than in the piece. On 21 October 1966, the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on a mountain above Aberfan engulfed a local school, killing many. The play avoids the causes and negligence, instead focusing on those working and building lives in the town.  Writer-performer Liam Holmes plays Stephen Jones, a...
Idle Friday Chatter #1

Scene: As Paul heads out to lunch he waits at the traffic lights at Brixton. A police siren suddenly goes off and the woman beside him lets out a shriek

Mad woman on the street: Oh this place I can't stand it it's 'orrible, it's too noisy and I just can't take it anymore. I just can't take it anymore and I think I'm about to lose it. And that woman on the bench over there yeah she just said to me that I need a long hard screw and they are all just taking cocaine and this place is a mess and I just can't take it anymore and I think one more thing and I am just going to lose it I really am I am really just going to really lose it....

Her voice trails off as Paul crosses the street and walks away faster and faster... all the while trying to remember the minute details of monologue...

Idle Friday Chatter #2

Scene: Friday afternoon in the office, F has just returned from the ladies...

F: Ethel from accounts doesn't blend her blush. I saw her in the toilet caking it on and she looks like... She looks like one of those porcelain dolls... It just looks un-natural!
Paul: Unless that is the look she's going for... Either that or whore on the high street...

*not her real name or occupation

Idle Friday Chatter #3

Scene: Friday evening in Soho. Paul is with A (Eurostarguy) and have entered a café for a late night hot chocolate. Entering the café laughing and carrying on (as one does on a sensible Friday evening) A heads to the mens room and Paul sashays over to a seat in the corner and flops down as if he has had a few too many "lemonades" for the evening. As he takes a menu he glances up and sees that his ex is sitting opposite alone and dressed like a chav.

Ex: Hi Paul
Paul: Er hi there.
Ex: You're looking well. Much better than last time I saw you. You looked a bit tired then...

Paul does not return a back-handed compliment as (a) he is not quick witted enough and (b) he thinks his ex looks like shit. In fact Paul does not say much more. Ex eventually gets up and leaves.


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