Red Wall Community Theatre

In contrast to their debut production, Attlee: a modest Little Man, humorously featuring the tensions around the 1945 Labour government's creation of the welfare state, Red Wall Theatre's follow-up show, Hindle Wakes, is set in 1910, in the fictional Lancashire cotton-mill town of Hindle. When the working-class Hawthorns discover that, instead of holidaying in Blackpool, their daughter Fanny has spent a weekend in LLandudno with mill-owner's son, Alan Jeffcote, both sets of parents want to ensure Alan does the right thing and marries Fanny, only to find she has other ideas.

Author Stanley Houghton belonged to the pre-first world war Manchester school of playwrights that included Harold Brighouse, who wrote Hobson's Choice, a play that similarly celebrated - to  similar humorous effect - a feistily independent female protagonist. Sadly Houghton died aged 32, just a year after his play moved to the West End.

Set in the fictional Lancashire cotton mill town of Hindle, the play was hugely controversial when first performed in 1910. It scandalised audiences in its treatment of pre-marital sex and provoked correspondence in the Pall Mall Gazette, in which the author participated, with many correspondents questioning whether the play's treatment of non-marital sex would set a bad example. The play was the first to feature a working-class woman as its hero.

When the working-class Hawthorns find their daughter, mill-girl Fanny, has had a fling in Llandudno with the boss's son, instead of holidaying in Blackpool, both sets of parents expect him to do the decent thing and marry her. But she has other ideas.

Reviewing the play in its centenary year, Guardian critic Michel Billington called it, 'An assault on moral rigidity, whether it comes from the workers or their bosses. And who is to say that we still don't live in a world that has one law for sexually adventurous men and another for women?'

Co-founder Jan Williams says,' The play is ahead of its time with themes of feminism and class-division, explored with humanity and humour. It fulfils Red Wall's mission to stage new or little-known drama, of popular appeal with social edge.'

Reviews of Hindle Wakes: A Play for Today

(Back row L-R) Brian Hey as Sir Timothy Farrar, Lizzie Medwell as Ada, Adrian Cook as Nathaniel Jeffcote, James Reilly as Alan Jeffcote, Emily Alderson as Fanny Hawthorne and Joel Dean as Chris Hawthorne.
(Front row L-R) Katherine Mc Golpin as Beatrice Farrar, Kaye Twomlow as Mrs Jeffcote and Jan Williams as Mrs Hawthorn.

Hindle Wakes - Red Wall’s second production, was staged at Harrogate's St Roberts Club and at Ripon's Arts Hub. Written by Stanley Houghton, one of the progressive Manchester school of playwrights, the play was first performed in 1910. Yet, despite decades of increasing emancipation and equal rights, its themes of women’s empowerment, sexual morality and class still resonate.   

The setting is Wakes Week in the fictional Lancashire mill town of Hindle.  The mills are closed, and workers and owners alike are on holiday. Fanny Hawthorn, a young weaver, is in Blackpool when she bumps into the mill owner’s son, Alan Jeffcote. The pair depart to a Llandudno hotel for a weekend’s fun.  

An accident concerning Fanny’s girlfriend, her intended alibi, leads to the unmasking of the illicit liaison. The parents of the couple, Alan’s fiancee, Beatrice, and her wealthy mill owner father, and Alan himself, discuss what to do. Alan’s mother- a former weaver like his father- vehemently opposes marriage, warning,’There’s only three generations from clogs to clogs.’ 

Witty dialogue highlights the double standards applied to male and female sexual conduct. Should Alan marry Fanny to make an honest woman of her or should he stand by his fiancée? Through many twists and turns, all - even Alan -  finally agree he should 'do the right thing' and marry Fanny.  However, Fanny steals the show when she declares she has no intention of marrying Alan - it was just a fling. “Then it looks as if I’m asked to wed him to turn him into an honest man!”

In a smooth, well-timed production, credit is due to all actors for the sensitive, humorous portrayal of their characters. Jan Williams directs, as well  as playing the sharp-faced Mrs Hawthorn with relish.  Emily Alderson electrifies as Fanny, a prototype feminist who ultimately expresses her inner voice. By Jackie Wootton