A NEW play by Manchester playwright Chris Hoyle tells the story of the negative side of regeneration projects across Salford.

Produced by Manchester’s 53two and Manchester Actor’s Platform Productions and starring stage and screen actors Karen Henthorn and Steve Garti, Tinned Up will be presented on Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s historic Main Stage as part of the Theatre’s Main House Takeover in a special three-night run.

Tinned Up follows the story of Shirley Parkin (played by Henthorn, who portrayed the role of Teresa Bryant in Coronation Street between 2007 and 2010). Shirley has lived at No.10 Brook Street all her life and has defied the council for years, refusing to move out of her modest two-up-two-down terrace. But now the clock is ticking; will she be forced to leave behind her memories and forget her past to make way for the developers? Joined by her foul-mouthed friend Beryl, unhappy single mother Joy, and Daz the local stoner, Shirley campaigns to keep the local area from the cold grasp of profit-hungry developers.

“I remember playing out on the streets with friends and neighbours when I was a child, the community felt safe, everything seems fractured these days,” said Henthorn, who was born in Oldham. “It’s a pleasure to be playing Shirley and telling this sad and funny story of real people.”

Writer Hoyle and director Naylor previously worked together on the critically acclaimed production of The Newspaper Boy at 53two as part of Queer Contact in 2018. They reunite for Tinned Up as 53two and MAP also fight to find themselves a new home in Greater Manchester.

“I got the idea for this story when one day I took a wrong turn and ended up on a ‘tinned up’ street where the whole street was boarded up apart from one house, but there was so much life coming from this one house so, I observed and chatted to the occupants as part of my research,” said Hoyle. “The play is full of heart and soul just like that one house on that tinned up street.

“It’s a story about friendship, community and fighting for social issues, it’s set in Salford in the pre-Media City days.”

Director Naylor added: “As 53two is forced to move out of its home for a development, a play about being forced out of a home for development was an obvious choice! Tinned Up is fantastic - a beautiful piece of theatre from Chris Hoyle. I had the pleasure of directing The Newspaper Boy at 53two, which was also written by Chris, and this piece is just as good.”

Tinned Up runs from Tuesday, October 24 to Thursday, September 26 at Oldham Coliseum Theatre. Tickets can be booked on 0161 624 2829 or at www.coliseum.org.uk