Wet House (Reading)
LIVE READING: WET HOUSE by PADDY CAMPBELL
+ the writer in conversation
Read by: JOE CAFFREY, CHRIS CONNEL, LARA FARAKISH-WAKE, RILEY JONES, JACKIE LYE, DAVID NELLIST
Directed by BEX BOWSHER
We asked our audience which play they would like to see return to Live Theatre. Paddy Campbell’s acclaimed play was the clear winner. Campbell’s 'thrillingly funny' (The Guardian) and deeply moving play set in a homeless hostel receives a box fresh reading with a roll call of brilliant local actors.
“So what brings you to the care industry? And please don’t say you want to make a difference.”
When Andy, an idealistic young graduate, gets a job in a wet house, a homeless hostel where residents can drink alcohol, he is plunged into a twilight world where the rules about what is right and what is normal have become a little blurred. And that’s just among the other staff. A comedy tinged with sadness and tragedy, Wet House asks how to keep your head when everyone else is off theirs. Based on his own first-hand experience, Paddy Campbell’s startlingly original first full length play asks who will look after the people that no one else will look after?
Cast and Creative Team
Chris Connel
Theatre credits include: ‘The Pitmen Painters’ (Friedman Theatre Broadway/National Theatre/Live Theatre), ‘Brassed Off’ (Wolverhampton Grand), ‘Bouncers’ (Ambassadors), ‘And A Nightingale Sang’ (Cheltenham Everyman), ‘The Steal’ (York Theatre Royal), ‘Close The Coal House Door’ (Northern Stage/Live Theatre), ‘Wet House’ (Soho Theatre/Live Theatre), ‘Bouncers’, ‘Loot’ (Hull Truck Theatre), ‘Shooting The Legend’ (Theatre Royal Newcastle).
The Premiere of ‘Cooking With Elvis’, ‘Toast’, ‘Nativities, ‘The Girls Of Poppy Field Close’, ‘You Real-ly Couldn’t Make It Up’ (Live Theatre); ‘Studs’, ‘Up On Roof’, ‘A kick In The Baubles’ (Hull Truck); ‘Black On White Shorts’ (Paines Plough); ‘Peer Gynt’ (Three Over Eden Theatre Company); ‘Cuddys Miles’ (The Customs House).
Television and film includes:
‘Goal’, ‘Purely Belter’, ‘Emmerdale’ (YTV); ‘Crocodile Shoes’ (BBC/Red Rooster); George Gently’ (Company Pictures); ‘The Round Tower’ (Festival Films); Coronation Street’ (Granada/ITV); ‘Badger’’ ‘Breeze Block’ (BBC); ‘Quayside’ (Zenith/Tyne Tees); ‘The Bill’ (ITV); ‘Byker Grove’ (BBC/Zenith); King Leek’, ‘Steel River Blues’ (Granada); ‘Heartbeat’, ‘How We Used To Live’ (YTV); ‘Finney’ (Zenith/Carlton); ‘The Block’ (Channel 4); ‘Take Me’ (Scottish TV/Coastal Productions); ‘Lawless’ (Company/ITV); ‘Navy Of The Damned’ (October/Channel 4).
Chris is also very proud to have presented many features for BBC North East and Cumbria and is the host of The Journal Culture Awards
Joe Caffrey
Joe trained at LAMDA. In a career spanning over 30 years, his work in the theatre includes: 'Billy Elliot' at Leicester Curve; 'Haddock & Chips' on tour; 'The Last Ship' at Northern Stage/UK/US tour and Toronto; 'Saint George and the Dragon' and 'Light Shining in Buckinghamshire' at the National Theatre; 'The Pitmen Painters' for the National Theatre/Live Theatre at the Duchess Theatre, London and UK tour; 'Love’s Labour’s Lost', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'We the People' and 'The Globe Mysteries' at Shakespeare’s Globe; 'The Girls' at the Phoenix Theatre, London; 'Cooking with Elvis' at the Whitehall Theatre, London and UK tour; 'Keepers of the Flame' for the RSC and Live Theatre; 'Clear White Light'; 'Iris', 'Charlie’s Trousers', 'The Last Post', 'Dirty Nets', 'Your Home In the West'; 'Cabaret' and 'Close the Coalhouse Door' for Live Theatre; 'Noir' for Northern Stage; 'Season Ticket' for Northern Stage and Pilot; Wet House at Soho Theatre, London; A Walk on Part at the Arts Theatre, London; Studs for Hull Truck. TV work includes: 'Pobol y Cwn'; 'Vera'; 'Wolfblood'; 'Clay'; 'Doctors'; 'Heartbeat'; 'Holby City'; 'The Bill'; 'Distant Shores'; 'Byker Grove'; 'Attachments'; 'Badger'; 'Hetty Wainthropp Investigates'; 'Soldier Soldier'; 'Colour Blind' and 'Spender'. Film work includes: 'Captain Marvel II', 'Victoria and Abdul', and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'.
Jackie Lye
Jackie made her professional debut with Live Theatre in the original production of C.P.Taylor's 'And a Nightingale Sang' - over 40 years ago! She then trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has worked extensively in theatre and tv ever since. Favourite roles include Grusha in 'Caucasian Chalk Circle' (Oxford Stage Co), Michelle in 'Strippers' ( tour and West End) and Mam in 'Cooking with Elvis' (Hull Truck Theatre and tour). Recent theatre includes 'Wet House' by Paddy Campbell at Live Theatre and Soho Theatre and 'Leaving', also by Paddy, at Northern Stage and a National tour. Television credits include - 'The Bill', 'Doctors', 'London's Burning', 'Harry's Mad', Casualty, Vera, Emmerdale and most recently Danny and Mick. Radio includes The Ferryhill Philosophers, BBC Radio 4 and now Joy Horville in 'The Archers'. Jackie is still best remembered for playing Sandra in the popular BBC sitcom 'Brush Strokes'.
David Nellist
David’s theatre credits include: 'Love It If We Beat Them' (Live Theatre), 'The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time' (NT/West End), 'War Horse' (NT), 'Billy Elliott' (West End), Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare Globe), Nicholas Nickelby (West End), Pitmen Painters (New Vic Theatre), 'Wet House, Searching for Tom', 'You Couldn't Make It Up', 'Your REALLY Couldn't Make It Up', 'Toast', 'Smack Family Robinson' (Live Theatre), 'Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather', 'The Likely Lads', 'The Far Corner' (Durham Gala), 'Elton John’s Glasses' (West End), 'The Warp' (Ken Campbell).
TV credits include 'Sherlock', 'A Confession', 'Archie', 'Waterloo Road', 'Shakespeare & Hathaway', 'Holby City' (BBC). 'GhostBoat', 'Northern Lights', 'Place Of the Dead', 'Badger' (ITV).
Film includes 'Bull', 'Lady Macbeth', 'Twelfth Night', 'Sket' (Revolver).
Lara Farakish-Wake
Lara Farakish-Wake is a dual heritage actress who has grown up in the North East. She is an Acting and Stage Combat graduate from East 15 Acting School who is passionate about working on Stage and TV. She has previously performed at Alphabetti Theatre and is thrilled to be taking on the role of Kerry for her first performance at Live Theatre.
Riley Jones
Riley graduated from Northumbria University with a 1st Class Hons Degree in 2009.
Since then he has worked on various television and theatre projects. Most notably he can be seen in his series regular role of DC Mark Edwards in ITV’s 'Vera'.
Other credits include 'EastEnders' (BBC), 'The Importance of Being Earnest' (Brockley Jack Theatre), 'Wet House' (Live Theatre/Soho Theatre), 'Cooking With Elvis' (Live Theatre), 'The Pitmen Painters' (Bill Kenwright), 'Rocketman' (Live Theatre),' Harold Larwood' (Live Theatre), 'Greensboro a Requiem' (The Playground Theatre).
