Based on the sell out success of the Lace Market Studio production of Sonya Kelly’s three hander play Once Upon A Bridge the renowned amateur company are heading up to the Edinburgh Festival this August to perform for five performances 18-23 August at the Space Surgeons’ Hall.

Photo credit: Grace Eden Photography.

Cast:

Clare Moss: A Woman

Gurmej Virk: The Bus Driver

Luke Willis: A Man

Nottingham ‘s culture magazine theatre reviewer had this to say about the original Nottingham production in Feb 2024.

Just before 8am on 5 May 2017, Oliver Salbris drove his number 430 bus over Putney Bridge in London. Thankfully travelling slowly due to heavy rush hour traffic, he was able to swerve to avoid a woman who fell into the path of his bus.

But the woman’s fall was no accident. Dashboard footage revealed a jogger – a stocky white male  running towards the women – make a sudden, inexplicable and wholly unpredictable decision to shove her, with violent force, into the path of the bus. On doing so, and without breaking stride, he carried on running, not even glancing back to see the near-miss he had so callously caused.

Following this shockingly random act of violence, the police and myriad internet sleuths attempted to uncover the identity of the mystery jogger, quickly dubbed the “Putney Pusher”. Perhaps just as mysterious as his motivation for recklessly endangering the life of a total stranger is how he has never been caught. The crime took place in London, one of most surveilled cities in the world, with almost 700,000 of the UK’s 5.2 million CCTV cameras.

I found this production genuinely thought-provoking, with all three actors fully inhabiting their characters and giving brilliantly paced performances that kept the audience rapt, with some wry chuckles along the way thanks to some lovely comic timing.  

The play has been described as a fairytale. Whilst there is a lot of poetic licence with the internal lives of the characters, and a notably karmic comeuppance for the jogger which one can only hope actually happened, at its heart is a fascinating tension between the alienating nature of modern city living, and the enforced proximity to others that all too often brings out the very worst of our natures.

The cast was praised for their “brilliantly paced performances” and ability to keep the audience engaged. 

• Strong Performances:The three actors were lauded for their ability to inhabit their characters and deliver “genuinely thought-provoking” performances.
• Engaging Story:The play was described as captivating, with some moments of humor and a “notably karmic comeuppance”.
• Thematic Depth:The play delves into the alienation of modern city life and the complexities of human interaction, making it a relevant and relatable piece.
• Sold Out Show:The production was sold out, highlighting its popularity and appeal.