Our Day Out

OUR DAY OUT – a musical stage and performed by Southport Dramatic Club Youth at Southport Little Theatre on Thursday, 19th March, 2026

‘Our Day Out’ proved to be far more than an evening of entertainment — it became a powerful ‘trip down memory lane’ for me. Having served as a police officer in Liverpool for thirty‑two years beginning in 1971, this play, written by the celebrated Scouse Playwright
Willy Russell felt instantly recognisable. There’s a suggestion that Russell, draws heavily on his own experiences as a teacher in the city, and the authenticity of that perspective resonated strongly throughout the performance. This is a play with music that follows the pupils of a ‘Progress Class,’ a group of underprivileged children from a Liverpool Secondary School, as they embark on a school trip to Conway Castle. Their teacher, Mrs Kay, leads the outing with warmth and optimism, but all that changes when the strict Deputy Head, Mr Briggs, is instructed by the Headteacher to accompany them in order to ‘keep them out of trouble’. All doesn’t go to plan and the children’s behaviour ranges from shoplifting, teasing and pushing boundaries, but the ‘turning point’ comes when at Conway Castle they lose Carol, one of the more vulnerable kids, everyone’s mood changed!

The Production Team ... chosen to lead us through this “day in the life” story, was headed by Sue Beven (Director), whom I had the pleasure of speaking with during the interval. Sue mentioned that she had focused on technique, projection and creating characters—and that absolutely stood out throughout this production. (Loved the ‘scouse accents’, but as you rightly said, the ‘Welsh’ perhaps needed a couple more weeks ahahahahaha). In her programme notes, Sue reflects that although the play was set in the 1970s, it still has themes that resonate powerfully today, I can only agree! Be very proud, Sue… all that hard work paid off, we met some wonderfully crafted characters and I don’t think I missed a single word!

The Cast... OMG, the energy, the enthusiasm, the commitment from this wonderful cast of seventeen was there from the very start and didn’t even stop at the final bows ... be very proud of what you all achieved!  This well-chosen, well-rehearsed cast included: -
Teachers:  
Oliver Dowd as the ‘strict disciplinarian’ and Deputy Head – ‘Mr Biggs’
Dani Capie-Witterick - Class Teacher ‘Mrs Kay’; Sophie Walker ... Schoolteacher – ‘Susan’; Ewan Harris – ‘Teacher’ Colin/Les;   
School kids:  Leo Rawsthorne - ‘Reilly’; Leyland Musa - ‘Digga’; Nathaniel Grills - ‘Andrew’; Maisie Francis – ‘Carol’; Amaya Spencer – ‘Linda’;  Jessie Jackson – ‘Karen’; Zoe Denton – ‘Milton’; Jasmine Mullen – ‘Rita’; Eleanor Fyfe – ‘Jenny’ / Waitress.  Cameo’s/Ensemble:  Oscar Gordon – ‘Ronny Sutcliffe’ (Bus Driver); Lois Cringle – Shop Owner, Zoo Keeper; Nicole Stringfellow – ‘Headteacher/Shop Owner’; Laura Iapara – Mrs Roberts.
Sticky‑neck‑out time again, and once more I’m faced with some tough decisions. Yes, we saw some standout individual performances — and they deserve their moment — but the real triumph of this production was the cast’s chemistry. You could genuinely see and feel the bond between them and that connection lifted the entire show. That said, I’d like to give ‘shout outs’ to five performers, who I believe need a special mention. Firstly, let me mention Oliver Dowd and Dani Capie Witterick who were simply a joy to watch, creating two completely believable characters with sharply contrasting attitudes. Dani’s aka Mrs. Kay radiated warmth and genuine care, whilst Oliver’s Mr. Briggs was practically driven by disdain. Their back‑and‑forth banter felt authentic; Oliver’s authority convincing, and his late‑show of softening landed perfectly. Their confidence, timing, and presence made for two truly impressive portrayals.  Leo Rawsthorne gave us a brilliantly cocky, mouthy ‘Reilly’ — full of bravado and swagger as he “bossed the bus,” flirted with Mrs. Kay, and then ended up suitably humbled. A performance to be proud of.  Amaya Spencer brought great energy to Linda — brassy, bold, and delightfully non‑conformist. Finally, Maisie Francis delivered a moving portrayal of Carol. I think Russell wrote Carol into the play to embody most, if not all the play’s themes — especially the longing for freedom from difficult circumstances which Maisie captured beautifully. Her scene in Conway on the cliff and later, the final scene in her bedroom, were emotional, honest, and genuinely affecting. Well, done to everyone, fabulous production — one you should all be incredibly proud of.

Staging/Tech... As we entered the theatre, we were met with an open stage featuring a large illuminated ‘Our Day Out’ sign, backed by a Liverpool skyline and a constructed Maghull Coaches Ltd bus. The sign transformed into a TV screen to introduce the show,
with Reilly appearing to remind us to turn off our phones. The set was simple but effective, with scaffolding stage right and steps stage left, but the standout feature was the extensive use of projection which is becoming common place in theatre, but here, it genuinely enhanced the production—from the moving bus to the final bedroom scene. Congrats to Brendan Gillow (Stage Manager), Rob Murtagh and Neil Langridge (Lighting), Chiron Farrimond and his Team (Sound), the Set Construction Team, and of course, Bob Jessamine, Scenic Artist. Best till last ... congrats to Scott Crawford for the outstanding projection!

Wardrobe... under the watchful eye of Eve McNamara... was, as is the norm here at Southport, first class... of the era and enhanced the production as did the ‘Props’ being managed by Hannah Knowles and Helen Griffiths.

Chaperones... I never forget to mention the selfless people who offer their services to allow young people to perform on stage... under the guidance of Bernie Howett (Safeguarding Officer) and Diane Mackley (Youth Leader) ...
I say to many of these nameless people ... without you this show would not have been performed... thank you!

It takes many to stage a show, it takes even more to stage a Youth Show... but all that effort is well worth it when you see these sort of results. Things can and do go wrong/mishaps happen... this is live theatre!  It’s not what happens it’s how you ‘GET UP’ and ‘GET ON WITH IT’! But what doesn’t help is when mindless people laugh out loud and long at a mistake!  Congrats to all the cast and the one who probably suffered most... for ‘getting up and getting on with it’ and not letting one mindless person spoil what was a great evening!

Thanks for the invite, my wife and I truly enjoyed every moment!

Stay Safe, Keep well
“Stronger Together”
Jim Briscoe,
NODA NW.,
District 6 Rep

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