{"id":4407,"date":"2020-03-05T14:13:03","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T14:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/2020\/03\/05\/author-alex-wheatles-crongton-knights-takes-centre-stage-manchester\/"},"modified":"2020-03-05T14:13:03","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T14:13:03","slug":"author-alex-wheatles-crongton-knights-takes-centre-stage-manchester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/author-alex-wheatles-crongton-knights-takes-centre-stage-manchester\/","title":{"rendered":"Author Alex Wheatle’s Crongton Knights takes centre stage in Manchester"},"content":{"rendered":"

Award-winning novelist, Alex Wheatle is bringing his Crongton Knights<\/a> series to the stage at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester next week.<\/p>\n

After receiving the Guardian Children Fiction\u2019s Prize in 2016 with his book, Wheatle felt it was time for the series to come to life.  <\/p>\n

The book sets the scene in South Crongton and follows a group of teenagers Alex refers to as \u201cthe magnificent six\u201d. The friends go on a quest when one of them gets into trouble, highlighting the realities of urban life. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m writing about real life, these people have to live these lives,\u201d said Alex.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Alex Wheatle with Man Met journalism students<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

 “I\u2019m influenced by my growing up in Brixton, South London. But really, I want any reader or anyone watching the performance to imagine Crongton to be anywhere<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a gleam of my experience working in a youth club, I\u2019m sure that when you read the book you can recognise some of the issues in around many cities not just in the UK.\u201d <\/p>\n

The author has worked in young offenders\u2019 institutions and, alongside his writing, now works at Manchester Metropolitan University as part of the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies<\/a> helping to build better opportunities and improve the lives of young people.<\/p>\n

The book has been adapted for the stage by Emteaz Hussain and is now on a national tour produced by York-based Pilot Theatre<\/a>, arriving at The Lowry, Salford Quays on March 10.<\/p>\n

Alex, who is of Jamaican descendant, could not be happier after seeing his work coming to life. <\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI was overjoyed, I thought wow!  It\u2019s been in year\u2019s development; it finally hit the stage in Coventry three weeks ago, and it was a fantastic feeling, overwhelming. I almost cried!\u201d <\/p>\n

The show came about after Esther Richardson, Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre read Crongton Knights and wanted to see it staged. <\/p>\n

The new production is aiming for a fresh rendering of the book featuring vocals from the cast and beatboxing from Conrad Murray, who got the cast to write and sing their own songs. <\/p>\n

With everything that is going on in the world, Alex encourages people to read, write and discover not only themselves, but to also to unfold the truth.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cIt\u2019s all about searching for that truth and putting it out there. Find that passion that fuels you and write.\u201d<\/p>\n