The Love on the Dole

A drama, by Roland Gow and Walter Greenwood. Directed by Adrian Herbert
October 2006

Synopsis

Love on the Dole was first played in 1934 and a later film version stared Deborah Kerr. Set in Salford during the depression, the young people of this respectable mining family strive to find love and some hope for the future, while their parents, with incorrigible snobbery, strive to cover up their increasing poverty as strikes and lack of work pulls them all down.

This is a powerful play with tragedy, tears and laughter.

Originally a novel by Walter Greenwood based on his own experiences as a young man (apparently the characters of Harry Hardcastle and Larry Meath are partly autobiographical), the first West End production of the play starred his wife (later Dame) Wendy Hiller as Sally. A film version, in 1941, starred Deborah Kerr in the leading role. Whilst the play is a powerful and disturbing evocation of the grim lives endured by the occupants of the northern mill towns in the 1930s, it also contains elements of rich comedy and some tender love scenes as the younger characters vainly seek happiness and a better quality of life than their forefathers have had to settle for. The play still has a contemporary resonance in that in many areas relative poverty and deprivation remains, with many younger people feeling disaffected as they too try to find love and greater fulfilment. So, was Jerusalem builded here, amongst these dark satanic mills? For some, maybe, but not necessarily for all, I think. As ever, we at Rottingdean have worked hard to create an appropriately evocative and exciting production for you, and hope that you have a rewarding theatrical experience as a result. Dedication Adrian Herbert wishes to dedicate this production to the memory of his partner, Simon, and his long-standing close friend, Jimmy, both of whom have, sadly, died recently.

Acts and Scenes

Sorry this information is not available. Please Contact us if you have any updates to these pages.

Cast and Crew

* denotes a debut on the Rottingdean stage

Performance Dates

Fri 20th Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM
Fri 20th Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM
Sat 21st Jan 2006 at 2:00 PM
Sat 21st Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM
Sun 22nd Jan 2006 at 2:00 PM
Thu 26th Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM
Fri 27th Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM
Sat 28th Jan 2006 at 2:00 PM
Sat 28th Jan 2006 at 7:45 PM

Photographs

There are photographs from other production and events available in the gallery.

Other Material

Missing Information

Part of this page is currently unavailable. We are working hard to transfer the history of the society onto the Internet, but it will take time!

If you have any information or material relating to a production of Rottingdean Drama Society, please contact the webmaster.