Stage: Dog Day Afternoon

A stage version of the classic film from The Theatre Company Course at The Hawth Crawley

The Theatre Company Course is run every Monday night in Crawley by Crawley Arts Development. Each week the students learn not only acting and theatre skills, but develop ideas for a production to be performed in The Hawth Studio. Two years ago the group staged Female Transport by Steve Gooch and last year 21 students participated in a Festival of Theatre with nine plays running over two nights.

This year the group are producing the stage version of the classic 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon, which starred Al Pacino. This minimalist, ensemble piece with live music engages with an infamous bank robbery that occurred in Brooklyn, New York City in August 1972.

“These people – they are all part of the myth of New York now… crowds cheering at the misfit robbers and booing the police on the streets, sharing pizza and a beer while the robbery turned to hostage taking then to an audacious attempt to demand a plane and fly away to erm, Algeria. It was a joke, a neighbourhood block party but better than anything on TV that night.” (LIFE Magazine, 1972)

Dog Day Afternoon, The Hawth Studio, Crawley, Wed 15–Fri 17 February, 7.45pm, £7.50 (discounts: £6.50), box office 01293 553636, www.hawth.co.uk