Details

It's Bolton, 1952. The year that rationing ended. Marie works with Joe in her domineering father's café, Fat Franks. She imagines one day eloping and becoming a singer in a jazz band. Joe dreams of another life in a better place. Marie loves Joe and he loves her, but they dare not show it. But Joe's parallel worlds are more than just escapist fantasy. Joe is suffering flashbacks. He's traumatised from his time as a soldier in World War II. To escape, he imagines Fat Franks is Frankie's Bar and Grill in New Orleans. The gumbo boils, he's the ladies' favourite and he's in the hometown of his idol Louis Prima. And just like Louis, Joe plays the trumpet in Frankie's Bar and Grill. But Joe's flashbacks are getting worse. Torn between fantasy and reality, he confesses all to Marie. She leaves to find fame and fortune in New Orleans. World Premiere

Creatives/Company

Author: Mark Davies Markham
Producer: Octagon Theatre Bolton
Director: Mark Babych
Design: Richard Foxton
Musical Director: Howard Gray