Billy Thorpe and Leigh

Billy Thorpe and Leigh

A rocking new show from Griffin Theatre Award winner, Neil Cole, Billy Thorpe and Leigh, will take over the Alex Theatre, St Kilda for a two-­week residency this May. It showcases Australian rock star Billy Thorpe's life and music through the eyes of a die-­hard fan.

The legendary, Billy Thorpe, inspired thousands of music lovers as one of Australia's greatest rock icons. Playwright Neil Cole has teamed up with long-­term friend and fellow Thorpe supporter, Leigh Farnell, to tell the moving, true story of how the music of Thorpe transformed Farnell's life, in the face of a personal crisis.

The show explores Farnell's life as his mother does her best to make ends meet when they discover her husband has a genetic illness known as Myotonic Dystrophy and can no longer work. As Farnell lives in the shadow of his father's illness, his struggle to find his place in the world becomes intertwined with the rockers success and music, which begins to take on more and more meaning for Farnell.

Cole's aim with this brand new piece of work is to celebrate the working class hero that was Billy Thorpe, 'Leigh and I were huge fans of Billy Thorpe growing up, and I wanted to showcase how a rock star that we didn't know could have such a big impact on our lives.

'I'm looking forward to sharing my new piece of work with Billy Thorpe fans and the wider community, his songs are incredible and you will find all the classics in there such as -Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy' and -It's Almost Summer'. The cast has a done an incredible job and I'm very proud of the work we have created" Cole said.

Writer and producer, Neil Cole, has worn many hats over the course of his career, including lawyer, politician,  professor and, of course, playwright. With over 25 plays under his belt including, Nina Simone -­ Black Diva Power, An Evening with Billie Holiday, Songs from the Cop and The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, he is a celebrated writer and producer.

You can see the wonderful work of Neil Cole at the Alex Theatre, St Kilda, from May 18th-­29th, Tickets available at: http://www.alextheatrestk.com/whats-­on-­alex/billy-­thorpe-­and-­leigh