The Tamworth Two
by Dougie Blaxland
"Playing Up's production of The Tamworth Two was as inventive as it was theatrical. The three actors combined the elements of physical and verbal humour brilliantly, bringing pace, vitality and wit to the play. Their mastery of the strange syntax and rhythms of the piece was most impressive as were the precise, keenly observed and astonishingly swift changes of character. In all, they created a wonderful piece of comic theatre that held their audience spell bound with admiration."
Dougie Blaxland, Playwright
About the play
The Tamworth Two is a new, never before performed play by award winning playwright Dougie Blaxland. Based on true events, the play details the escape from a Malmesbury slaughterhouse of two Tamworth pigs, who proceeded to swim the River Avon as part of their great escape. The pigs went to ground in local woods and a media scrum ensued as ‘Butch’ and ‘Sundance’ (as The Daily Mail nicknamed them) evaded animal handlers, RSPCA, police and tracker dogs. Daily Mail readers, meanwhile, were being encouraged to donate to a campaign fund to “Save The Tamworth Two” and the pigs became minor celebrities. Eventually they were recaptured but the paper bought them and, after a photo shoot peppered with puns about “Saving their bacon,” Butch and Sundance were allowed to live out their lives safe from the slaughter man on a rare breeds’ farm.
Dougie Blaxland’s play is a warm hearted and brilliantly written play which mixes rhyme and porky-work-talk in the style of Stanley Unwin to spin a beasty-babel-fable where just three actors play forty three roles, including all the animals. Be amazed as our porcine pals evade the evil Bleedbladder and fight for their freedom. The Tamworth Two is a fast, physical and very funny play that will appeal to children and adults alike.