Bill Naughton – A Centenary Celebration

Saturday 29th May 2010

BOLTON MUSEUM & ARCHIVE – MUSEUM LECTURE THEATRE

10.00-10.30 Opening of Celebration Day

Launched by the Mayor of Bolton, Councillor John Bryne, plus representatives of The University of Bolton and The Octagon. Erna Naughton, Bill Naughton's widow, will also be in attendance.

SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS

AT THE MUSEUM LECTURE THEATRE – Bill Naughton Academic Conference (10.30-5.00)
10.30-12.00 Keynote Lecture: Prof. Stephen Lacey (University of Glamorgan) speaking on Class, Culture and Social Realism in Naughton's work, plus one other paper on Alfie and 'the spiv' figure.

12.30-1.30 Lunch
1.30-3.30 Another panel of academic papers, discussing Naughton's Bolton-based films, the truth of photographic memory, and Bolton and comedy, from Naughton to Peter Kay.
3.45-4.00 Coffee/Tea
4.00-5.00 Final keynote lecture by Prof. Neil Sinyard (emeritus, University of Hull) on The Family Way.

AT THE OCTAGON (10.30-6.00; 7.30- )
10.30-12.30 From Page to Performance (1) The audience will be able to watch and assist David Thacker, the artistic Director of The Octagon and Visiting Professor at The University of Bolton, as he takes actors through rehearsals of Bill Naughton's much loved classic, Alfie.

12.30–1.30 Lunch
1.30-3.45 From Page to Performance (2) A continuation of the morning's events, culminating in a rehearsed reading of Alfie at 4.00 pm.
3.45-4.00 Coffee/Tea
4.00-6.00 Rehearsed reading of Bill Naughton's Alfie
7.30 Performance of Rafta Rafta

 

IN AND AROUND THE TOWN

All day - Display of Naughton Archive material at Bolton Museum.
10.00-2.00 'Story Station' in Victoria Square, where the public are invited to record their own memories of 'life and times' in Bolton.  Children will be encouraged to contribute their own words and pictures.
10.00-2.00 'Poetry on a Plate' – Storytelling sessions of Naughton's work in Victoria Square.
11.00-12.00 and 1.00-2.00 Minibus tours of Naughton's Bolton (including the film locations of The Family Way and Spring and Port Wine)
Bolton Library will be staging special readings by actors of Naughton's work in its High Street and Farnworth Branches.