Advice for the Young at Heart

It’s 2011 and 1958: London is rioting. Candice is ordered by her gang-leading boyfriend to lure Clint into a honeytrap. Haunted by her grandfather’s mistakes, she stands at a crossroads. Will she do as she’s told, or will she learn to be true to herself before history repeats itself?

Commissioned by Theatre Centre, this new play by Sucker Punch playwright Roy Williams examines the unrest of summer 2011 against the backdrop of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots.

The writer: Roy Williams
BAFTA-winning Roy Williams’ many plays include the widely acclaimed Sucker Punch (Royal Court), nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2010. Other plays include Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith), Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre) and Clubland (Royal Court). In 2000 Williams was joint-winner of the George Devine Award and in 2001 he won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright. He received an OBE for Services to Drama in the 2008 Birthday Honours List.

Commission background
The riots of 2011 provoked comment on the morality of youth and the codes by which young people live. Advice for the Young at Heart asks whether this is a new phenomenon, or one that young people have struggled with for generations. Set during the 1958 Notting Hill race riots and the riots of 2011, Roy Williams explores how teenagers can learn from the mistakes of a previous generation.

About Theatre Centre
Theatre Centre is a professional theatre company touring to children and young people. A registered charity, Theatre Centre has been commissioning new writing and touring to schools and venues across the UK since 1953. Collaborating with artists, teachers and young people, Theatre Centre produces high-quality plays for young audiences. The company has worked with award-winning writers Lisa Evans, Noël Grieg, Mike Kenny, Bryony Lavery, Brendan Murray, Philip Osment, Manjinder Virk, Roy Williams, Benjamin Zephaniah and many others. The company administrates the Brian Way Award for Best New Play, the Adrienne Benham Award and the Dorothy L. Sayers Award. Visit the website at www.theatre-centre.co.uk

Recommended for everyone aged 14+.

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