Chiswick-based Playwright Turns to Novel-writing
Simon Bradbury had lost his job as a Cirque du Soleil performer in Las Vegas
Simon Bradbury
Chiswick-based playwright and actor, Simon Bradbury, found escapism in novel writing to help him beat the pandemic unemployment blues. When the virus struck he had been working as a Cirque du Soleil performer in Las Vegas, forced to give that up, he wrote his debut novel Requiem for a Hard Man which has now been published by The Conrad Press.
Requiem for a Hard Man follows the story of Jackie Dunne, a Salford club owner and WW2 veteran haunted by memories of the war. As his son's drug addiction threatens to kill him, the trauma unlocks in Jackie a need for redemption that up until now has been buried. The war years begin to catch up on him and instead of dealing with it, he diverts his energy into saving the community. He turns vigilante, imperilling the trade of his old army mate, who is now the biggest drug dealer in town.
Simon, who has been a professional actor for forty years and performed in the UK, Canada, the US and Australia, is also a playwright and screenwriter. The winner of the 2017 Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize, found writing Requiem for a Hard Man helped him cope with the feelings of helplessness the pandemic instilled in him. He says, ‘I found myself back in the UK, fearful for the future and wondering if live performance would ever return and if so, when? Creating a world of characters was my way of controlling the outcome - venting some of my demons within a dramatic structure. It’s helped keep me sane.’
Speaking about the themes of the book, Simon explains, ‘The book is essentially about personal responsibility. On returning to the UK from Las Vegas, long-term memory had me flashing back to my earlier years growing up in Salford. We often come full circle in times of stress and so it was with me. I started to assess my life and I found I had many regrets. We can never escape our past. It is part of us and we live with it every day. If we bury some memories they can destroy us. I hoped to create a tragic yet touching urban tale that transcended locale and spoke of a universal human experience. The Manchester and Salford of the 1970s is where I have set Requiem for a Hard Man. I called on my time in a workingman’s club in Salford and the war stories I heard. I also drew on the Northern Soul movement and my knowledge of the 70’s club scene in Greater Manchester and beyond. I recalled the mischief I got up to with other scallywags.’
Requiem for a Hard Man by Simon Bradbury can be purchased by clicking here.
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July 6, 2021
