The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist

Presented by - Chalkfoot Theatre Company (P)

Location - Main House

£8 (£7.50 concessions)

Curtain Up 7.30pm

Presented by Chalkfoot Theatre Company in association with Shindig Artservice, Arts Council England West Midlands, Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council.

Philip Dart’s adaptation focuses on some of the individual human stories within Tressell’s powerful novel, including that of Owen, a skilled artist who is shamelessly exploited by his bosses: Ruth Easton and her decorator husband – who are forced to take in a lodger to make ends meet – and Bert, the 15 year old apprentice who is bullied and abused by his employers. However, humour is never very far away as Tressell satirises the scams and tricks of the trade used by bosses as they skimp on time and materials to save money – a scenario not unfamiliar to householders of the 21st century!

Robert Tressell wrote only one novel during the course of his troubled life – however his book did much to change attitudes towards the plight of workers at the beginning of the 20th century. Tressell (real name Robert Noonan) was a skilled artist who created spectacular friezes and murals in the local church as well as working on more mundane tasks such as decorating rooms for the wealthy in his hometown of Hastings. His real-life experiences of harsh working conditions drove him to write the book, which was not published until after his death.