World premiere of Post Office scandal musical in Ludlow
Make Good, a new musical about the Post Office scandal inspired by sub-postmaster interviews, has its first ever performances at Ludlow Assembly Rooms.
Leading touring theatre companies Pentabus and New Perspectives have just revealed the casting and tour dates for Make Good, their brand new co-production. Both companies are celebrating their 50th anniversary, and a combined 100 years of rural touring.
Victoria Brazier will play Elsie, performing in her second Pentabus/New Perspectives co-production following Crossings, rising star and Spotlight Graduate Finalist 2023 Charlotte Delima makes her professional stage debut as Indira, Samuel Gosrani (Robin Hood: The Legend. Rewritten and The Lovely Bones) will play Mohandas, and acclaimed performer and comedian Ed Gaughan will play Postman.
Make Good tells the story of the silent tragedy has unfolded in the heart of our communities over 20 years. Innocent sub-postmasters had their lives torn apart and faced bankruptcy, isolation, and jail for crimes that were never committed, for debts that never existed.
Directly informed by conversations with affected sub-postmasters, Make Good dives into this most local of stories, capturing the raw emotions, the bewilderment and the unbreakable bond of faith and family that were put to the test.
Make Good, three years in the making, tells the story of the Post Office scandal, now recognised as one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in British history.
Victoria Brazier said: “I was so chuffed to be offered the role of Elsie. These sub-postmasters were ordinary people living and working in towns and villages just like those we will tour to. Their lives were destroyed by the weight of so many lies. I want to honour their stories and be part of trying to prevent something similar happening again.”
Charlotte Delima commented: “I feel honoured to make my debut with the company and show. As artists, it’s critical to continue to shine a light on the great injustice of the Post Office scandal and musicals offer a unique opportunity to show the raw emotion and unspeakable narratives of the characters.”
Samuel Gosrani added: “To share a story that will most likely resonate first hand with people in the audience at every show is massive. My biggest hope is that, as a company, we can put together a piece of theatre that will stick and literally ‘make good’.”
A sub-postmaster involved in the development process commented: “If we knew that this was going to happen to us, that we were going to become criminals by buying a Post Office, we would never, ever have done it. They are the criminals. Behind closed doors they have secretly been doing this to us. This show opens up those doors and in doing so, it tells the story that the nation needs to hear.”
Make Good previews at Ludlow Assembly Rooms at 7.30pm on Friday, 18 October and Saturday, 19 October. Tickets and more information at: ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk.
By Tom Pentabus - Contributor
