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September in the Rain

Thirty years. One seaside tradition. A lifetime of love.

Comedy Theatre

Tuesday 3 - Tuesday 10 November

Production Company: Bowness Theatre Festival

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Thirty years. One seaside tradition. A lifetime of love.

John Godber’s September in the Rain is a nostalgic, heart-warming and richly comic love story that captures the joy, humour and heartache of a marriage played out over three decades.

Follow Liz and Jack on their annual trek across the Pennines — from their wide-eyed 1950s honeymoon to their later years as devoted (and delightfully bickering) pensioners. 

A love story that weathers every storm. Tender, truthful and laugh-out-loud funny — a celebration of enduring love.

Starring Mark Stratton (Emmerdale, Casualty, Coronation Street, The Great Train Robbery, Blue Murder, Clay, The Royal, Rosemary & Thyme, Steel River Blues, Islands At War, Family Affairs, Heartbeat, At Home With The Braithwaites & Children’s Ward).

And Meriel Scholfield (Hullraisers, Casualty, Doctors, Holby, Coronation Street, No Offence, Emmerdale, Last Tango In Halifax, Hollyoaks, Waterloo Road, Innocence, Brief Lives.)

Photo credit: Tony Bartholomew

The Matinee lunch ticket 
This great value ticket includes soup and a sandwich in The Burrow Café before the show.  Your table will be reserved for you at 1pm.  Please select your sandwich in advance when booking. 

Sandwich options are as follows served on brown, white or gluten free bread:

  • Ham and piccalilli 
  • Cheese and Chutney
  • Tuna and cucumber 
  • Hummus and cucumber 

Q & A with  Director Sheila Carter 

What made you want to direct this particular play?

I've always had an appreciation for John's writing, particularly the earlier plays that capture an important part of our social history. A way of life that has disappeared.

Why do you think John Godber's writing connects so strongly with audiences?

Much of his writing taps into our collective memories of our recent past.

What is it about Jack and Liz's relationship that makes them so recognisable?

It reflects the development of a relationship over many years. We can all empathise with what happens in the play and what Jack and Liz are going through.

Blackpool is almost a third character in the play. What does Blackpool represent for Jack and Liz?

It represents the highlight of their year. They can escape from their daily routine and enjoy everything a seaside town has to offer, from donkey rides to the glamour of the tower ballroom. If Jack and Liz were to appear on Mastermind then their specialist subject would be Blackpool!

What interested you about portraying a long marriage rather than simply a love story?

When looking at a piece that covers a long marriage we see how a relationship changes over time and no matter what challenges Jack and Liz face, love is at the core.

For someone deciding whether to book a ticket, what sort of evening should they expect?

Expect a roller coaster ride through the decades which takes us back to a simpler way of life. September in the Rain swings back and forth from joy to heartache, is beautifully written with sharp, witty dialogue and has lashings of dry Yorkshire humour.