00:00Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre is staging a new play that revisits the history of the
00:05Kirby Ski Slope, a 1970s local authority project that never opened to the public.
00:11The Royal Court specialises in doing all these brilliant, crazy comedies sometimes.
00:16This one's true. It's all based on real events.
00:19In fact, to the point where Keir and the writers had to chop out bits because it would sound too
00:23crazy.
00:24So the truth of it is even more mental than we show on the stage.
00:28The production Taking the Piste is written by Keir and Lynn and draws on reported accounts from the period.
00:35The play explores how the scheme was developed during a period of regeneration ambition in Kirby
00:39when local authorities pursued large-scale civic projects.
00:43Reports at the time indicated construction challenges, safety concerns and questions about cost and oversight from different stakeholders.
00:50I was looking for stories that I felt would resonate around the city and when I found the ski slope,
00:56I mean, it had everything I'm looking for, like it's really funny, kind of unbelievable,
01:01but also because it's about corrupt politicians, slightly believable where we're at at the moment.
01:07And then when I found out about the free press investigation that uncovered it all
01:11and that the politicians in the end went to prison, for me, it was perfect.
01:16The story also includes the role of independent reporting in bringing attention to the site and its development progress.
01:22The council-backed project even led to several individuals, including the main contractor and borer architect, being jailed for fraud.
01:31First and foremost, we've tried to create something that's just really entertaining.
01:34So we want people to have a big laugh, feel like they've had a really, really good night out at
01:40the theatre.
01:40That said, it's about something too.
01:43It's about how our politicians, historically, but also today, are behaving, some of the stuff that they're getting away with.
01:50It's about how the news media reports on that or sometimes doesn't report on that.
01:55So even though I think people are going to have a big old laugh,
01:58I think there'll be a little something to think on as well as people are leaving theatre.
02:03The ski slope was built without planning permission at a cost of £140,000 in the 1970s
02:11and demolished within the decade over fears of safety.
02:14The ski slope was also found to have been built the wrong way round,
02:18with it being dangerously close to the M57.
02:22I worked here seven years ago as a waitress and I absolutely loved it.
02:26I used to bring out food for people in the interval and so it just feels really special.
02:31But yes, I performed here before in the studio, which was amazing,
02:33but it's lovely to be on the main stage as well.
02:35I think we get the pleasure, I mean, as new actors, newer to this game, shall we say,
02:39to work with legends like Hayley Sheen, Mickey Stark, Paul Duckworth, Vicky Binns.
02:45It's a real treasure to be able to do that. We're really lucky.
02:48The unbelievably true story of the Kirby ski slope taking the piste
02:53is on at Liverpool's Royal Court until Saturday 18th of July.
Comments