When Mrs Kay's 'Progress Class' are unleashed for a day's coach trip to Conway Castle in Wales, it is an exuberant celebration of the joys and agonies of growing up and being footloose, fourteen and free from school. But this is more than a romp - it points up the depressing present and empty future for these comphrehensive no-hopers from the backstreets of Liverpool, for whom a day out is as much as they can expect.

SCREENPLAY: Written by Willy Russell Commissioned by BBC Directed by Pedr James Broadcast December 1976, then again six weeks later by popular demand as part BBC's PLAY FOR TODAY in 1977. Re-broadcast in 1979. Written in long hand in only five days, Willy found this reality based drama easy to write. He had taught at Dingle Vale school, one of the locations used in the film and had experienced similar school trips both as a child and a teacher. THE CAST: 1976 Mrs Kay - Jean Haywood Mr Briggs - Alun Armstrong Susan - Elizabeth Estenson Colin - Lennox Graves Lollipop Man - George Malpas Headmaster - Robert Gillespie Bus Driver - Bill Moores Cafe Owner - Iona Bankes Cafe Assisant - Jill Richards Zoo Keeper - Peter Tilbury THE KIDS: 1976 Carol - Julie Jones Reilly - Stephen Caffrey Linda - Jacqueline Lucas Ronson - Robert Guy Andrews - Phil Johnson Digga - Joe Jennings Karen - Sheila Ashes Milton - Michael Spencer Little Kid - Craig Matthews Kevin - Simon Driver Jimmy - Michael Clifton Maurice - Maurice McNall plus Ian Allward, Debbie Bush, Janet Cave, Maria Chapman, Lorraine Ellis, John Evans, David Ford, Barry Gillibrand, Sharon Grant, Miguel Lates, Graham Lucas, David Martin, Malcolm Meades, Jayne Nilson, Colin Ungi, John Philips, Judith Williams and Keith Williams.

'I still watch it today. The performances are exquisite. Shot on 16mm in just three weeks by a first time director working with a largely untrained cast it just seemed to be one of those charmed ventures in which everything just fell into place. A great bonus, for me, is the understated but stunning Nic Jones version of Teddy Bears Picnic over the final credits.' WILLY RUSSELL   The video of the BBC film Our Day Out is not currently available, which is odd, because the film is shown and the play performed in almost every school in the country.

 

 

Musical stage version of the original television film first staged at the Liverpool Everyman in 1983 with songs by Willy Russell, Chris Mellor and Bob Eaton (who also directed). THE EVERYMAN THEATRE Directed by Bob Eaton & Kate Roland Musical Direction by Chris Mellor "The skill and zest of the show derive from its success in following the adult argument through while preserving all the fun of a story for and mainly played by children... a Dickensian fairytale... I have rarely seen a show that combined such warmth and such bleakness." The Times THE CAST: 1983 Mrs Kay - Linda Beckett Bus Driver/Zoo Keeper/Les - Carl Chase Colin/Headmaster - David Hobbs Mr Briggs - Roberts McIntosh Susan/Cafe Owner - Christine Nagy

THE KIDS: 1983 Children [x] - Sue Abrahams, Michaela Amoo, Danny Ayers, Maria Barrett, Angela Bell, Andy Broadhead, Maxime Cole, Vernon Eustace, Brian Hanlon, Michael Kagbo, Andrea Langham, Victor McGuire, Mary Shepherd, Paul Spence, Charlie Thelu and Jason Williams. Children [y] - Hannah Bond, Peter Bullock, Shaun Carr, Mary Farmer, Danny Jones, Anne Lundon, Ritchie Macauley, Keith Maiker, Jacqui McCarthy, Victor McGuire, Jocelyn Meall, Joanne Mogan, Joanne Oldham, Joanne Pennington, Ben Wilson and John Winstanley. The two groups [x & y] performed on alternate nights.

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Stage version at Belgrade Theatre Coventry. "With Bob Eaton and Glen Walford I overhauled the whole show, restructuring, writing new songs, introducing new elements to the text; ever since the hastily put together first production I'd wanted to devote time to making Our Day Out into the really big musical that I thought it deserved to be. We got a long way towards achieving that in Coventry, helped in no small way by a great cast of young actors from the Coventry area. We didn't, though, fully get there and, along with Bob and Glen I'm still hoping that we can mount one more production, the one that will, in terms of musical theatre, take Our Day Out all the way.

THE BELGRADE THEATRE Written by Willy Russell Songs by Willy Russell, Chris Mellor and Bob Eaton Belgrade Theatre, Coventry Directed by Glen Walford "The highlight is the performance of the young cast who perhaps quite rightly completely overshadow the older actors. The youngsters are convincing and thoroughly engaging from start to finish." THE CAST: 1996 Mrs Kay - Lynn Whitehead Mr Briggs - John Wild Carol - Elizabeth Brennan Linda - Bethan Webb "The audience rose almost in unison at the end of the entirely compelling performance... I have never seen a reaction like it at the Belgrade."

"Willy Russell's play is a delight... in every member of the young cast you could see someone you recognise from your own school trips. From the young stunner after the teacher to the hard knock with his leather jacket, but the best is the two girls who find everything so boring.. that's until the trips over and they admit they'd had a great day." "I cried for the first time in years at the theatre... and I didn't care a bit." "Everyone in Coventry should see this play... great popular entertainment with more than just a little poignancy."