New play celebrating 200 years of the lifeboat service premieres at TRP

The Last Shout is a Theatre Royal Plymouth and Falmouth University co-production, coming to TRP 03 – 07 September

A new play commemorating the 200th anniversary of the lifeboat service will receive its premiere at Theatre Royal Plymouth this September.

Exploring themes of courage, self-sacrifice and our innate need to help others, The Last Shout employs a combination of live action and dynamic soundscape, immersing audiences in two worlds – past and present.

Created in partnership with Falmouth University and Theatre Royal Plymouth, the cast consists of Penzance actor Darcy Vanhinsbergh (Maleficent, Poldark, Eastenders) as Joe; Oddbodies founder Paul Morel as Craig; and newcomer Robyn Collins, from Falmouth, as Alice.

Joe is an out of work playwright, searching for an idea. Alice, his partner, is an NHS nurse who resents Joe’s lack of creative passion and artistic integrity. When Joe begins researching the loss of the eight-man crew of Cornwall’s Penlee Lifeboat at Christmas 1981, he finds himself drawn into a complex world of heroism, grief and selfless duty.

Written by Cornish author and journalist Simon Parker, directed by Mark Laville, and produced by Cornish theatre company, the arc, The Last Shout shines a light on the courage of those who go to sea for people they’ve never met; the everyday courage of frontline NHS staff who care for strangers; and the creative courage it takes to tell difficult stories.

Simon Parker said: “Having lived and worked in West Cornwall at the time of the loss of the Solomon Browne, I fully understand the sensitivities surrounding the terrible loss suffered by so many families, as well as the wider community.

“The Last Shout explores courage, self-sacrifice and our innate need to help others – then and now. It’s intended to offer a message of hope and an acknowledgement that, more than ever, we need stories to make sense of our lives and to find our place in the world. My personal hope is that The Last Shout honours and respects those remarkable eight men.”

Directed by well-known Plymouth theatre director and university lecturer Mark Laville, The Last Shout employs a combination of live action and a dynamic soundscape, immersing audiences in two worlds – past and present.

Mark, who has been making and facilitating theatre as a director, performer and producer for many years, was artistic director at the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth before taking up a post at the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts at Falmouth University. Mark said: “Simon’s play is a beautifully crafted and deeply respectful testament to all those who lost their lives that night in December 1981 and to those close to them who were left to wrestle with the aftermath. 

“It is an exploration of the importance of selflessness and altruism to our lives today, in 2024, as people and communities, and forces us to re-evaluate what we mean when we use terms like ‘heroism’ and ‘sacrifice’.”

Cornish production company the arc (www.thearctheatre.com) was formed in the early 2000s. Its acclaimed shows for The Minack, Sterts and Plymouth Barbican include Third Light, Gonamena, Poltroon and Mad Dog.

The Last Shout is supported by Arts Council England, FEAST Cornwall, Falmouth University, AMATA and Theatre Royal Plymouth. The show comes to TRP 03 – 07 September. For tickets visit: www.theatreroyal.com/whats-on/the-last-shout or call the box office on 01752 267222.