Merry Dancers play with fire for debut production

New Manchester theatre company We Merry Dancers debuts at the city's Hope Mill theatre this month with a rare production of Swiss playwright Max Frisch's dark comedy The Fire Raisers (September 23-28).

Set in a seemingly ordinary town plagued by arsonists hiding in plain sight, The Fire Raiserstells the story of Gottlieb Biedermann, a complacent businessman who invites two strangers into his attic — even though everything suggests they may be the fire raisers he reads about in his daily newspaper...

We Merry Dancers co-founder, director and Oldhamer Amy Gavin makes her solo directorial debut after the success of Taming of The “Shrew” (co-director, HER Productions, one of The Stage's top 50 Shows, 2024) and most recently as co-director on HER Productions' Macbeth.

She said: “I believe it’s more relevant than ever. This play forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about complicity, denial and the quiet ways we allow dangerous systems to thrive. The Fire Raisers is a wake-up call. It makes me question my own compliance and blindness and I want to take more action.

"This will be a bold, physical, and atmospheric staging, full of tension, dark humour and unease. It is fun but hopefully also provokes you, and stays with you long after you’ve left the theatre.”

The production features an impressive cast, headed by Rupert Hill (Coronation Street, Midsommer Murders, Casualty) as Biedermann, with Althea Burey (Classic!) as his wife, Jessica Forrest (Hollyoaks) and Kyle O’Neill, Michael Clay, Leyla Barakat, Mathew Martin-Warren, Milly Overland and Claire Ramtuhul completing the cast.

More info and tickets here