For those of you who have not seen this play, it tells the story of a man called Hobson who runs a shoe shop with his three daughters. He has always limited his daughters’ activities and denied them independence. The twist of the story comes when Hobson’s eldest daughter Maggie proposes to Willie Mossop, the boot-maker in her fathers shop. This infuriates her father as he had decided that she would not marry but look after him in his old age. The story deepens when Maggie and Willie make a shoe shop themselves which starts to run more successfully than Hobson’s shoe shop. The struggle that follows Maggie’s actions shows that the younger generation needs its independence. I feel that the benefit of this play for the two age groups, students and adults, will be greater understanding of each others’ viewpoints.
The play also warns us of the dangers of alcohol abuse. The father has an alcohol problem which makes him act more aggressively towards his children. The audience can see the ill effects of drinking excessively on family life. This in effect can be inspiring for some members of the audience to realise how lucky they are not to face such problems.
You may ask if the language of the play is suitable for all ages, and may I reassure you that the language is suitable for everyone. The dialogue used will be true to life, such as all of the students will have heard. I do not believe that the play will teach anyone unsuitable words, or encourage the use of bad language. Without the inclusion of some rough expressions the atmosphere of the play would be whitewashed and blind everyone to the unique Northern way of talking.
You may also be wondering how we will be able to obtain all the correct props and stage backdrops, but having seen the play for myself it seems pretty straightforward.
There should be no problem in making a quality set with minimal props and backdrops.
Organising the play will also be quite simple because we will only require twelve people as actors. I believe we should make a point of considering inviting the students and staff of Richards Lodge High School in order to make the whole experience more vibrant. Two schools will thus benefit from one play.
I believe that one positive effect of this play being performed by our students is that it will add to the school’s atmosphere by enabling the students to work together.
They will have an opportunity to be involved in both the making and performance of this play. I am sure we all agree that the more students involved the better not only for you but for the students, too.
I hope I have given enough information for you to make a decision. If not, you can always get in contact with me if you have any more questions. I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Sohail Ali