They Shoot Horses don't they?

Hardship and humiliation of the marathons

SOME things in life can be so misleading. Like political statements and get-rich-quick offers. Somehow, they never turn out to be what you expected.

When They Shoot Horses Don't They? hit the cinemas 32 years ago, those who hadn't already read Horace McCoy's fascinating novel might have been excused for thinking it was something about animal breeding.

But they wouldn't have been fooled for long before being totally consumed by the gritty and heart-wrenching story of the great dance marathons of the 30s.

They lasted 24 hours, and they were cruel, but - as America's Depression deepened - the lure of cash prizes literally drove couples to dance until they dropped in their desperation for the money they needed to survive.

Jonathon Stone, artistic director at Hereford's Courtyard Theatre, believes the production's big cast explains why it's so rarely performed on stage, more's the pity.

"This is a very powerful play. In many ways the dance marathons were the original Big Brother and Survivor shows, as people subjected themselves to ridicule, hardship and humiliation for money.

"Often they had nowhere to sleep and no food, so were trying to earn money to eat and find shelter.

"But the competitions were very cruel as they had to dance for hours on end without a break, and would be thrown out of the door with nothing if they stopped or fell over."

Stone - who directed the Courtyard's highly successful Sweeney Todd last year - has ensured audiences will be given a real feel for the dance competitions.

With a 50-strong cast from the theatre's community company - a mixture of professional actors and youngster's learning the trade - and a re-arranged auditorium, he's promising an exciting show.

"The most difficult thing was to make the dancing look scrappy," he said.

"Most of those who took part had no idea how to dance, which is very difficult to recreate when the actors know how to dance."

Judge for yourself whether they hit the mark and match up to the originals. Tickets are available on 01432 359252.