Grass, Snitch, Nark, Blabber.

Grass by Mark Whiteley

When I was 20, I witnessed an horrific beating in a pub in Nottingham.  Two young, alcohol fuelled, angry men on a Friday night out, I knew both the victim and the perpetrator.  What followed was one of the scariest times in my life. I was threatened, stalked and even arrested. 

After the fight I was asked by the Police Officer what I’d seen, we all know what can happen to a grass on the council estates of England.  What would you do?  I did what I thought was right and decent and ultimately, I ended up paying a high price for being a snitch. 

Before the Crown Court case I was regularly visited by gang members wanting to know “what I was going to say” in court, under oath.  As the date loomed I didn’t know where to turn or what to do, so on the morning of the case I ran away.  Of course as a 48 year old I look back on that ridiculous decision with mature eyes, but I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

On the run from the Police and living on friend’s sofas I battled between my conscience and my fear for my safety.  In the end, Iaughably, I was “on the run” for just three nights. I had a chance meeting with an old lady on a park bench, who had far more life experience than I did at that time.  She listened and told me about her brother, a conscientious objector, who ran away for six months during WW2 then bravely returned to face the music. 

The next day I walked into Nottingham Crown Court and was arrested for Contempt on entry.  I gave evidence and the accused was found guilty and given 12 months, suspended for 12 months.  I left Nottingham pretty soon after that.

25 years later and the ghosts of my past are back.  GRASS is a new British crime drama from award winning Manchester theatre company HARD GRAFT. 

Venue -  KAVA 17 - 21 Mumps, Oldham, OL1 3TL
Tickets from £6*
Dates 30th Sept. - 17th October 2015
Time 7.30pm

*£6 preview tickets on the 30th September

Time to wake up

If you want to be in on the bottom floor here's a look at our new venue in Oldham.  We open in September, but I'll try and keep you up to date with how it's all going on here.

Better still, join the email list here  and get offers, inside info and nude portraits of me to savour.

This year it's GRASS a comedy drama, based on a true story about me and our rit.  It was first performed in the 24/7 festival in 2010 and was nominated that year for MEN Award (obviously I didn't win or you would have heard).

Anyhow, I'm really excited about this project and I think you will be too.

Share me with a friend and my love for you will never end.

peace people

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com

And they're off!

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to Oldham's first general meeting of artists and professionals involved in getting the town's independant quarter moving.

The idea is to invite small businesses to make use of a number of empty retail units in the eastern lands of the town.  Music makers, theatre companies, artists, clothes shops, boutiques and large department stores made up of smaller companies were discussed.

I take my hat off to the council, who are putting their money where their mouth is and doing good for a town by securing an incredibly bright future.

They have already been very supportive of Hard Graft giving us two shops and offering us this year's venue for GRASS in August.

If you have an idea and want a low cost way of starting your future business in Oldham, I urge you to take a look

here


Can I just tell you that Hard Graft theatre has turned 63 shops into theatres, 63!