Christine Piper is that rather prim, politely-spoken middle-aged lady you see at the bus-stop sometimes; the neighbour from up the street, who smiles thinly when she recognises you, but rarely says hello.
She’s the rather distracted lady in the supermarket checkout, fumbling in her bag for her purse; the woman sitting in the coffee shop, by herself, sipping weak, sugary filter coffee, with a bag of groceries at her feet.
She’s quiet, she’s unassuming, she’s a little dowdy, and she always seems to be on her own. It would be very easy to overlook Christine Piper.
And that would be a mistake.
Because Christine has a very active internal life. She has dreams, illusions, and strong, dark passions. And she is about to do something more than a little out of character. She is going to act on those passions at last.
And woe betide anyone who gets in her way…
This unsettling, but compassionate psychological study of a life lived in quiet desperation marks a strong debut for writer-director Phil Knight, producer Phil Darnes, and lead actress Paola Wigmore. Darkly funny, queasily suspenseful, and oddly touching, it has some of the quirky charm of Alan Bennett’s seminal Talking Heads series of monologues, a little of the broad-brush social satire of Mike Leigh, and a subtle sense of mischief all its own.
Christine Piper was all ready to make her debut at Salford Film Festival on Tuesday November 27th at 2.30pm, but now she’s been given an evening slot, and will be appearing at 8pm. The only problem is, she’s now got to contend with live football at old Trafford, and Joy Division: The Documentary at Vue Cinema.
Christine doesn’t have a lot of time for football or live music, and we’re sure there are a lot of others like her, but even so, we’re frightened that she might be overlooked again.
And right now, Christine’s in a very vulnerable place. A very dangerous place. Dangerous for everyone.
Remember: it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch…
Visit Christine's website HERE.
Christine Piper, Salford Arts Theatre, Tuesday November 27th, 8pm.