The Duke

Written and performed by Shôn Dale-Jones

A STORY ABOUT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

In 1974 my father invested £750 (£8,100 in today’s money) in a Royal Worcester porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington on horseback - made to celebrate his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He kept the figure we affectionately called The Duke, wrapped in sponge, in a big box, under his bed. After he died in 2001, my mother decided to take the figure out and display it on the table in the bay window. Since 2005 I’ve been working on a film script which is in the very final stages of development. In the autumn of 2015 I sit at my desk waiting for an email that will tell me what I need to do to the script to get it onto the screen. I turn the radio on. I listen to a report about the refugee crisis. My mother calls. She tells me she’s broken The Duke. My mother, my film script and the refugee crisis all need my attention.

Shôn Dale-Jones performs his new one man show, The Duke, a playful and richly imaginative piece which mixes fantasy with reality, taking the audience on an imaginative and touching journey which gently challenges us to consider our priorities in a world full of crisis.

No set ticket prices, pay what you can after the performance. All proceeds go to Save the Children’s Child Refugee Crisis Appeal.

Shôn is Artistic Director of Hoipolloi, who combine original storytelling with an inventive spirit. He is also the award-winning writer/performer behind his comic creation, Hugh Hughes.

Age guide: for everyone over 8, including adults / Duration: 1 hr