SparkPlug, a punchy and poetic exploration of family, race, identity and love comes to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre next month as part of a national tour.
“He’s got two Dads, my lad. One’s black. That makes him black. I suppose.”
Manchester, 1983. Dave loves Rod Stewart, Joanne and his Ford Capri. He’s all set for a new start. Only Joanne’s about to have someone else’s baby. Is Dave ready to become a Dad even though he’s not the father?
SparkPlug is the story of a white man who becomes the adoptive father, mother and best friend of a mixed-race child, David. This lyrical and energetic monologue from Manchester-based dual-heritage writer David Judge examines what family means today. Inspired by autobiographical events and exploring the playwright’s background as an actor and spoken word artist, SparkPlug is unflinching in its portrayal of real situations as it explores racism, violence and masculinity. Offering a non-judgmental space in which to start a conversation,SparkPlug seeks to give people the chance to talk openly about these themes.
Writer and performer David Judge says: “As a 'man of colour' my voice as a writer has become a valued weapon, loaded and aimed at those without. As a 'man of colour' I sometimes feel pressured to speak for a community I know nothing of and feel I am being recruited to hate those without, the 'white man'. This fight both inside and outside of myself makes me question where my loyalties lie.
“Who am I loyal to? And who to me? The answers are straightforward; my biological Father, my 'Black' left me before I was born; my biological Mother, my 'Blood' left me when I was seven years old; the only person who stuck by me, from boy to man, who grew and shaped me into the man I am today was a white man. A white man with love and hate tattooed on his knuckles, with a ginger perm, with a Ford Capri, with Rod Stewart constantly on the stereo. So out of my loyalty to him, I have used my voice to write a play about the man who made me one. My Father.”
SparkPlug was a finalist for the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play 2017. It’s produced by Box of Tricks, a Manchester-based theatre company championing the next generation of playwrights, producing top quality new plays on local and national stages. Their previous two productions Narvik (Best New Play at UK Theatre Awards 2017) and Plastic Figurines enjoyed sell-out audiences and critical acclaim in 2016 and 2017.
SparkPlug can be seen in the McCarthy at the SJT at 7.45pm on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 April. Tickets are priced from £10, and can be booked at the box office on 01723 370541 or via the website: www.sjt.uk.com