The Battle of Cable Street anniversary remembered at Southwark Playhouse
Southwark Playhouse is gearing up to show its most memorable performance of its latest musical, Cable Street, this October.
The special show, set for October 4, at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, will be particularly poignant for all the cast and company as it marks the 88th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street that was fought on October 4, 1936.
The evening will start at 7.20pm at the theatre in Dante Place, Elephant and Castle, with a discussion between Cable Street’s creatives alongside Professor Nadia Valman, who specialises in the history and culture of east London.
The performance will then start at its usual time of 7.45pm. All ticket holders will be invited for the talk, or can choose to arrive to be seated for show time.
The anniversary performance falls within Cable Street’s latest run which opens at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from September 6, to October 10.
Nearly 70 per cent of all the tickets of the 42 performances have already sold so grab your tickets while you can.
Launching its sold out world premiere in February, at Southwark Playhouse Borough, Cable Street reimagines one of London’s most momentous days – celebrating a community that came together with a call for action.
The story follows three young impoverished workers: 19-year-old Sammy, Mairead an Irish Catholic baker, and Ron, a recent arrival to Cable Street from Lancashire, all trying to find work and carve out their futures in the East End.
But, the young men’s lives would change forever on October 4, 1936, when the British Union of Fascists (BUF), led by Oswald Mosley, marched into the heart of their community.
Cable Street shows residents taking a stand against prejudice against thousands of Blackshirt supporters.
The government failed to ban the march, with 7,000 police officers deployed to protect the BUF.
The provocation saw workers, members of the Jewish and Irish communities, trade unionists, members of the Labour and Communist parties, women and children defend their community.
Written by composer Tim Gilvin and playwright Alex Kanefsky and directed by Adam Lenson, Cable Street’s latest run will open at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on September 6.
For more information and tickets visit: southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
Pictured top: Set design from the new production (Picture: Southwark Playhouse Borough)