Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn Backs New Song from Graeae's REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Pioneering disabled-led theatre company Graeae has been a proud standard-bearer for protest and disability rights for many years. In conjunction with the final tour of their smash hit musical Reasons to be Cheerful, set in 1979 Thatcher's Britain, Blockheads Chaz Jankel, Derek Hussey and cast member John Kelly have written a protest song for 2017, 'If It Can't Be Right Then It Must Be Wrong'. You can download the song here!

As part of Graeae's Reasons To Be Cheerful extensive community engagement programme, nearly 100 songwriters across the country have written and submitted their protest songs.

Graeae Theatre Company commented: "Thanks to Chaz Jankel and Derek Hussey from The Blockheads, and to John Kelly, the lead singer from our hit show Reasons to be Cheerful, Graeae now has our very own protest song that perfectly sums up how we feel."

The song: 'If It Can't Be Right Then It Must Be Wrong' is performed each night in Reasons To Be Cheerful.

We approached the heads of all of the major UK political parties to comment on our new protest song. We got a response from one:

"This new anti austerity song from Graeae and the Blockheads captures the current mood of the country. It's lyrics bring people together in a moment of shared experience to challenge the status quo," said Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party.

The song is a rallying cry against the current government cuts; specifically the austerity and cuts directed at the D/deaf and disabled community in the UK and the systematic disintegration of the NHS and the Welfare State. The lyrics of 'If It Can't Be Right Then It Must Be Wrong' reflect back to the era Reasons to be Cheerful is set, when Ian Dury and The Blockheads were dominating the charts. Full lyrics can be seen here.

'If It Can't Be Right Then It Must Be Wrong' will be available as a free download and will be performed exclusively at each show on the tour by the cast and band. The show is on tour now.

This joyful and defiant production will visit seven regions around the country, kicking off at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, who are also associate producers, on Friday 8 September before touring to Derby, Southampton, Ipswich, Leeds, Liverpool and ending with a two-week run at Theatre Royal Stratford East in London from 24 October - 4 November. Press night is 13 September at Derby Theatre.

This coming of age tale rejoices in the infectious and enduring music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Featuring stone-cold classic songs including Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick; Plaistow Patricia; Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll; Sweet Gene Vincent; What A Waste and the titular Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3, this show is loud, bold and jubilant.

Reprising their roles from the hugely successful 2010 and 2012 tours, Stephen Lloyd will play Vinnie alongside Stephen Collins as Colin, Karen Spicer as Pat, Wayne 'Pickles' Norman as Pickles and Jude Mahon in the role of Debbie. With John Kelly on lead vocals, the on-stage band is completed by Paul Sirett (Guitar, also writer), Nixon Rosembert (Bass) and Paula Stanbridge-Faircloth (Drums). Beth Hinton-Lever will play Janine in her Graeae debut, while Gerard McDermott (Blood Wedding and Blasted for Graeae), Joey Hickman (The Threepenny Opera for Graeae) and Max Runham (Captain Walker in Tommy for Ramps on the Moon) will also join the company. The band will be completed with Graeae newcomer Louis Schultz-Wiremu on saxophone, making his stage debut.

Using Graeae's signature theatrical language, all performances of Reasons to be Cheerful seamlessly include British Sign Language, audio description and creative captioning.

John Kelly (Lead Vocals) has completed five UK tours as well as many international performances. John is Artistic Director of DaisyFest, National Associate Artist for Drake Music, musician with circus company ExtraOrdinary Bodies and Policy & Strategy manager at Merton Centre For Independent Living. John sang Spasticus Autisticus, live at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games in London, and has also guested with The Blockheads.

Chaz Jankel and Derek Hussey are members of the iconic band The Blockheads. For more information, click here.

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IF YOU GO:

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
Writer Paul Sirett
Director Jenny Sealey
Designer Liz Ascroft
Associate Director Daryl Beeton
Lighting Ian Scott
Sound Lewis Gibson
Choreography Mark Smith
Musical Director Joey Hickman
Musical Supervision & Arrangements Robert Hyman
Casting Sarah Hughes CDG

Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 October
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
https://www.wyp.org.uk
0113 213 7700

Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 October
Liverpool Everyman
https://www.everymanplayhouse.com
0151 709 4776

Tuesday 24 October - Saturday 4 November
Theatre Royal Stratford East
http://www.stratfordeast.com
020 8534 0310
Press night: 24 October

Age recommendation 14+

All performances include creative British Sign Language, captioning and audio description.

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Graeae is a force for change in world-class theatre - breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and boldly placing d/Deaf and disabled artists centre stage. Artistically led by Jenny Sealey, Graeae's signature characteristic is the compelling creative integration of sign language, captioning and audio description, which engages brilliantly with both disabled and non-disabled audiences. Championing accessibility and providing a platform for new generations of artists, Graeae leads the way in pioneering, trail-blazing theatre. Graeae won the Promotion of Diversity Award at the TMA Theatre Awards UK 2012. Recent productions include: Cosmic Scallies at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe (co-production with Royal Exchange Theatre) The House Of Bernarda Alba (co- production with Royal Exchange Theatre), The Solid Life Of Sugar Water (co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth), Blood Wedding (co-production with Dundee Rep Ensemble and Derby Theatre), The Threepenny Opera (co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse, New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, Nottingham Playhouse Company and Birmingham Rep Theatre), Belonging (co-production with Circo Crescer e Viver), Reasons To Be Cheerful (originally co-production with New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and Theatre Royal Stratford East), Blasted and Bent. Spectacular outdoor productions include The Limbless Knight (with Strange Fruit/ commissioned by GDIF), Prometheus Awakes (with La Fura dels Baus/co-commissioned by GDIF and SIRF) and The Iron Man. Visit www.graeae.org for more information.

Director / Artistic Director of Graeae Jenny Sealey MBE co-directed the London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony alongside Bradley Hemmings (GDIF). She has been Artistic Director and CEO of Graeae since 1997 and has pioneered a new theatrical language, coining the term 'aesthetics of access'. Credits for Graeae include The House Of Bernarda Alba, Blood Wedding, Blasted, The Threepenny Opera, The Limbless Knight, Belonging and Reasons To Be Cheerful. International work includes Romeo and Juliet in Bangladesh, Blood Wedding in Tokyo and Belonging in Brazil. Jenny was awarded her MBE in 2009 and The Human Rights Awards for the Arts in 2012. Visit twitter.com/GraeaeJennyS for more.

Paul Sirett is a playwright, dramaturg and musician. He is currently working as the dramaturg on the new Ramps on the Moon production of The Who's rock opera Tommy - a job that includes integrating two new songs from Pete Townshend and revising the script to make the production fully accessible. Most recently, Paul wrote Stratford East's biggest ever selling pantomime, Simbad The Sailor, and worked as the dramaturg on a re-working of the John Mellencamp and Stephen King musical, Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County in New York. Previously, Paul was nominated for an Olivier for his musical The Big Life and he wrote Come Dancing with Ray Davies. Upcoming productions include a new Punk Rock musical, Oxy and the Morons, at the New Wolsey in Ipswich, and a new Graeae tour of Paul's Ian Dury and the Blockheads musical Reasons to be Cheerful.

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