Over ten years ago, Joe O'Byrne premiered the first production of The Bench, the third play in a series about the inhabitants of Paradise Heights, a fictional estate which was, he told the Salford Star, "an amalgamation of places where I've lived and that have influenced me Salford, Bolton and bits of Manchester...they're estates where you get your blood and thunder stories."
The Bench was certainly one of those, covering a twelve month period in which the Estate's residents find themselves at fate points in their lives
a thief, a fake medium, a homeless man, an artist, a widow, a dealer, a loan shark, an angel and a ghost. All of them, at some point during the year, sit on the bench and one them will die on it.
The play received much acclaim, was due to go on the road again this spring and summer but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. So, instead, Joe who won the Salford Star Award for Best Play for his The Haunting of Blaine Manor drama has taken it online, reading the novel version of The Bench out loud, Jackanory style.
"I've talked for a while about turning the series of films and plays into a series of novels, so a couple of years ago I picked The Bench as my starting point and turned it into a novel" he says
"This, of course, allowed me to explore further and include characters, locations and situations that didn't appear in the original show, characters and locations from other tales based in the community" he adds "The Bench - The Novel became a very rewarding read for fans of the series as it was a richer story; it worked both for those that had seen the original, and it acts as a great introduction to the world of Tales from Paradise Heights for those not familiar with the critically acclaimed series..."
With the story being set over twelve months, in twelve chapters, Joe is doing two episodes per month, with great illustrations and background quips. The online films not only give a chance to hear the author who is also an actor and gets the right intonations in there - read his story but also to get a bit of personal background too.
At just over half an hour long per episode it's well worth the lockdown time and a great chance to experience A Tale From Paradise Heights from a new angle...
Pull up a rocking chair, put on a comfy jumper, break out your vicious dogs and tune in...
The Bench: A Tale From Paradise Heights Episodes 1 and 2 are online now at Joe O'Byrne's website click here or on YouTube click here and click here
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