97+

Tom Cain Theatre Company presents: 97+

A theatrical Drama based on true events. Aiming to educate audiences on the TRUTH of Hillsborough and raise awareness for survivors still suffering from their trauma.

’10/10 Perfect. Possibly the most powerful theatre show I’ve ever seen’ (Liverpool Theatre Festival, Writebase 2022)

Set in 2012, Hillsborough Survivors John and Steve each deal with the trauma they suffered as young boys, now as middle-aged men. John played by Colin Kilbride, bottles up his emotions and only exposes them to his wife Liz played by Claudia Molyneux, as he regularly suffers from night terrors but avoids seeking treatment from the doctors. As opposed to Steve played by Leslie Longley, who lives alone but seeks help from the hospital or the vodka bottle as his only support mechanisms. Despite countless setbacks, the Hillsborough Survivors continue their fight for justice.

97+ is written and directed by new, Liverpool-based, emerging artist Tom Cain. Tom originally wrote 97+ for his Edge Hill University Drama Dissertation in 2021, consisting of seven characters and a two-act play. Tom has since converted this to the one-hour, three-character festival edition that is to be performed at Edinburgh Fringe. After the huge success of their debut performance at the Liverpool Theatre Festival in 2022, earning a ‘10/10’ rating by festival reviewers, Tom formed his theatre company ‘Tom Cain Theatre’. Tom has then gone on to direct further performances of 97+, even converting it to a high schools-only edition in support of The Real Truth Legacy Project, which aims to make Hillsborough part of the High School Curriculum with Liverpool city council.

97+ is also written in collaboration with the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance, a charity set up by survivors who provide Hillsborough Transformational Recovery Model, a therapy intended to help other survivors. Tom is forever grateful to the HSA, as without those interviews he would not have been able to tell their story.

“As a Hillsborough survivor, I watched 97+ with interest and trepidation often through teary eyes. A powerfully emotive and informative depiction of snapshots of lives still troubled by the horrors of Hillsborough. A great platform to help continue to educate people of the real truth of 15.04.89 and its aftermath.” (Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance Member, September 2022 – interviewed him as part of the original research when writing in 2021)

Listings information

Venue: Underground at The Old Clubhouse

Date: Sunday 16th July 2023

Time: 20:30 (60mins)

Ticket prices: £10 / concessions £9

Box office: http://underthefringe.com/book

Press tickets: press@underthefringe.com / 07708873622

97+ contains scenes of PTSD, Suicide, and Self Harm that some viewers may find distressing.

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