What? A play, by Tim Crooks, called ‘Captive Audience’.
When? The 4th and 5th of February, at 7pm.
Where? The Oakwood Centre, Woodley. (RG5 4JZ) (website)
What’s it about? It’s been summed up as ‘Screwtape Letters for the Ricky Gervais generation’. The play is set in the headquarters of ‘Advertising UK’. However, it soon becomes clear that this is no ordinary advertising agency and that the company executives don’t are what the public buys, as long as they’re kept from the truth…

Read on for more... 

What should I expect?

For those of you who go to the same Church as me: nothing like the drama you’ve seen at Wycliffe. This has been written for the secular marketplace and, with the script getting good reviews from both the BBC and leading UK theatres, it seems to be somewhere near the mark. While it is comic, the content is quite raw in places; terrorism, pedophilia and pornography are just some of the topics covered.

Should I come along… …and should I invite my friends?

That really depends on you and your friends. Due to the content of the play we have asked that no children be admitted (though we leave it to parents to decide what constitutes a ‘child’) and if you personally don’t normally watch films rated higher than ‘12’, may I politely suggest that you may prefer not to come. It’s been a difficult task getting the tone of this play right. I’ve tried to be real about the world as I see it, in all its ugliness and depravity, but I’ve also tried to be real about the fact that there’s an alternative. If you’re a normal human being, this play should make you feel uncomfortable; I’d be worried if it didn’t. Having said that, while the play examines deep issues, it is comic and entertaining in parts and should provide a worthwhile evening out for any open minded theatre goer. If you think you can cope with what’s been described, then by all means come long and bring your friends; this wasn’t written for a Church audience.

This isn’t an Alpha course, you won’t get a 6 step presentation of the Gospel, but if you want something that’ll be a good conversation starter, this is it. ‘Is there more to life than this?’, ‘Is there a spiritual reality out there?’, ‘How can I be forgiven?’, etc are all issues raised in this play. And you certainly don’t have to worry about this being cringe-worthy; people might walk out in protest but they don’t cringe!

How can I get tickets?

Call the Oakwood Centre on 0118 9690356. Tickets are £7. Note: TICKETS ARE LIMITED. There is a very high possibility of selling out. If you want to avoid disappointment, book now.