"I saw the original production of Pugilist Specialist and was lucky enough to meet with the playwright Adriano Shaplin to chat about the play. I was completely blown away by it, as were audiences throughout the UK and the US at the time. It's superbly written; a scorching, punch in the guts piece which made a huge impact on me. I've been wanting to stage the play ever since and now is a great time as it lends itself perfectly to the festival season.
Initially written as a comment on America's involvement in the Iraq war and post 9/11 America, the themes still resonate today with the ongoing wars in Syria and conflicts in the wider middle east. It's dark humour and razor sharp dialogue is still as fresh and relevant today as it was when it was first written.
Casting is the biggest challenge. It needs very strong actors who are not only physically fit but also need to have good American accents and be prepared to commit to a production that has the potential to span several months. They also need to be amateur as the festival rules demand this. It's a big ask and we're prepared to hold onto the project until a later date if it means getting the right cast. But we have so many talented actors here in Swindon that we're pretty confident we will find the right team.
We're all excited at the prospect of staging this incredible piece of theatre and bringing it to a new audience who, we hope, will be as moved by it as we are."
Whole Hog intend to stage the play in early March 2017 and continue touring around theatre festivals and Fringe venues until the end of April 2017. See our 'Future Hog' page for full audition details.