Last week, we sat down with Clare O’Flaherty the writer of upcoming HOP!
HOP! is a murder mystery like no other… read more below!
Hi Clare, thank you for taking the time to chat to us today. We’re less than two weeks out from showtime! How is it all coming together?
My absolute pleasure. The show is really coming together now, we’ve had a lovely couple of days in The Space this week so it’s been lush to get a sense of the venue and really start getting the piece on its feet. We previewed a shorter version of Hop! a month or so back at the Golden Goose theatre; since then it’s had a good old re-draft so it’s been exciting to see o
ur fab actors re-familiarise with the script but also get stuck into the new bits.
My absolute pleasure. The show is really coming together now, we’ve had a lovely couple of days in The Space this week so it’s been lush to get a sense of the venue and really start getting the piece on its feet. We previewed a shorter version of Hop! a month or so back at the Golden Goose theatre; since then it’s had a good old re-draft so it’s been exciting to see o
ur fab actors re-familiarise with the script but also get stuck into the new bits.As a murder mystery, we can’t give too many spoilers about the plot… What can you tell us?
Yes, there has been a murder of sorts however our c haracters are going to do everything in their power to distract you from this fact. Can you stay focused despite their decoys…the challenge is on!’Tell us about your writing process, how did HOP! find it’s way onto the page?
I wrote Hop! during the first lockdown, and it began as me just staying connected to writing and theatre. Like most writers, I have countless pads full of ideas and I decided to see what would happen if I picked some at random and try to fit them into one world. It was a challenge trying to bring these quite singular elements into one place but I felt like I needed to test myself at a time where we all felt a bit lost – but alas, we have Hop!
I pretty much only write comedy & am always looking for way to work with my director in crime, Coral (who also has comedic bones); we both want to make sure audiences have fun, escape & take a breather from reality in our pieces – fingers crossed we’ve achieved that with Hop!
Yes, there has been a murder of sorts however our c haracters are going to do everything in their power to distract you from this fact. Can you stay focused despite their decoys…the challenge is on!’Tell us about your writing process, how did HOP! find it’s way onto the page?
I wrote Hop! during the first lockdown, and it began as me just staying connected to writing and theatre. Like most writers, I have countless pads full of ideas and I decided to see what would happen if I picked some at random and try to fit them into one world. It was a challenge trying to bring these quite singular elements into one place but I felt like I needed to test myself at a time where we all felt a bit lost – but alas, we have Hop!
I pretty much only write comedy & am always looking for way to work with my director in crime, Coral (who also has comedic bones); we both want to make sure audiences have fun, escape & take a breather from reality in our pieces – fingers crossed we’ve achieved that with Hop!We’re always glad for a Northern connection, can you tell us about the play’s setting of Stockport?
I’m a Manchester girl and lived not far from Stockport before I moved to London. Most of my plays are tied to the north and Stockport seemed like the perfect place to base this story & the characters. We give a nod to The Hat Museum, Fred Perry & David Dickinson – all Stockport originals.
Tell us about some of the characters we’ll meet in HOP! Who is at the heart of our mystery?
It’s a three-hander, we have: Gina, daughter of Renee who finds herself covered in blood with a lot of explaining to do;
Gina’s mate Michelle, whose dippy mentality isn’t helpful in a time of crisis;
and finally Renee, Gina’s mother. Renee is a local celebrity after starring in the Boots Christmas advert in 1992. Renee dominates
our story, she distracts us from everything and echos this idea that we often ignore what’s right in front of us.
It’s a three-hander, we have: Gina, daughter of Renee who finds herself covered in blood with a lot of explaining to do;
Gina’s mate Michelle, whose dippy mentality isn’t helpful in a time of crisis;
and finally Renee, Gina’s mother. Renee is a local celebrity after starring in the Boots Christmas advert in 1992. Renee dominates
our story, she distracts us from everything and echos this idea that we often ignore what’s right in front of us.
In previous conversations, we’ve talked about a spectacular finish that may involve some gore, how has the process of bringing this to life been?
It really is PG on the gore scale, even Disney wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But it’s been fun to play with the insinuation of something sinister and staging it has been a brain teaser & a blast in equal measure.
It really is PG on the gore scale, even Disney wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But it’s been fun to play with the insinuation of something sinister and staging it has been a brain teaser & a blast in equal measure.
Finally, sell us HOP! in 3 words.
Fun, intriguing & nostalgic!
Fun, intriguing & nostalgic!
HOP!
Playing 10th – 14th August 7:30pm
Livestreaming 13th August 7:30pm