Gripping Postwar Thriller Heads To Yorkshire Venues

Philip Stokes’s acclaimed play, Shellshocked, is heading to Yorkshire next month as part of the Red Ladder Local programme.

This postwar period thriller, produced by Richard Jordan Productions and 412 with Lawrence Batley Theatre and Harrogate Theatre, in association with Pleasance, is coming to Queen’s Mill, Castleford (Sept 11), and St John’s Parish Hall, in Staincross, Barnsley (Sept 16).

The two-person drama, set in the aftermath of the Second World War, tells the story of a young, shellshocked soldier, Wesley Hepton, who returns home from the trenches.

To help support the family, his mother submits his art portfolio to painter Mr Lupine. Wesley attends an interview to become his apprentice. However, on arrival he encounters another kind of madness that threatens to push him to destruction as he discovers the ulterior motives behind the artist’s palette.

A dark, gripping thriller, Shellshocked examines the horrors of those who served during the war and the horrors of those who did not. It also explores loyalty, relationships, and the desire to make great art.

The play has drawn widespread praise, with critics describing it as “satisfying and complex” (The Scotsman), “tantalising… a real character-driven drama” (British Theatre Guide) and “nothing less than a triumph” (Fringe Review).

Leeds-based award-winning playwright Philip Stokes said: “It’s an incredibly intense cat-and-mouse thriller with unexpected twists. It’s about mental health and oppression, but more than that, I hope it's just rollickingly good entertainment.”

Alice Barber, Red Ladder Theatre Company’s programmer, said: “Our Red Ladder Local programme is all about making great theatre both affordable and accessible to as wide an audience as possible.

“Philip Stokes is a brilliant playwright, and his pulsating play LASH was a big hit with our audiences when it came here two years ago. That’s why we’re delighted to bring another of his acclaimed plays, Shellshocked, to Queen’s Mill and St John’s Parish Hall.”

Red Ladder Local is part of Leeds-based Red Ladder Theatre Company and has been bringing shows to non-traditional theatrical venues, such as pubs, community centres and church halls, across Yorkshire since 2015.

Age guidance: 14+

Content Transparency: Contains discussions of PTSD, suicide, references to the war, a prop gun, and gunshot sound effects.

For more information and to book tickets, visit Red Ladder Theatre Company

Read Andrew Palmer's interview with Lee Bainbridge about another Philip Stokes' play Brighton '84 coming to Harrogate. Lee performed in an earlier production of Shellshocked Voice-Of-The-Voiceless-Lee-Bainbridge-Brings-Brighton-84-Home.