This father-and-son love story is unabashedly sentimental. Even the programme blurb makes tears well: Tim Firth writes about his father, Gordon, who died in 2018. Gordon was a watercolourist, headteacher and “scavenger of the council refuse tip” (while this was still a legal activity); he was also co-creator, with Tim, of the Bafta-winning television series Roger and the Rottentrolls. Gordon’s greatest talent was for discovering purpose in things (and people) discarded and disregarded. He is clearly the inspiration for Ray (Jeff Rawle), the central character in this new musical, written and composed by Firth, whose stage and big-screen hits include Calendar Girls, The Flint Street Nativity and Kinky Boots.
Ray is a builder, now retired and a widower. His only child, Neil (Chris Hannon), is a health and safety officer. Their joint grand design is the transformation of the abandoned local bank into a home – cue running-joke disagreement over hazard tape: necessary (Neil); no need for it if you use your eyes (Ray). Firth’s text is underpinned by metaphors.
