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The musical is set on a council estate in the north of England in 1974. We follow a week in the life of 11-year-old Jimmy Spence. Jimmy is in the midst of puberty, and embarks on a journey of self discovery, as he struggles to come to terms with the emotional upheaval in his young life. To make things even more complicated, he falls in love with Julie Richardson, a popular girl at his school. She’s from The Manor Estate, where all the posh kids live. Unfortunately for Jimmy, the school bully Jack Russell, also has affections for Julie. There’s a dramatic showdown, as Jimmy and Jack come face to face. It’s a vicious fight to the end for both boys, who desperately want to capture Julie’s heart.
The musical is set in December 2019, and is based around the Butterworth Care Home for the elderly, situated in Yorkshire, England. We follow the lives of three main characters: Morag and Betty (residents), and Bernie (staff nurse). When Morag and Betty meet for the first time, they strike up a friendship. But that soon changes, when Betty reveals a painful event from her past. Everyone loves staff nurse Bernie. She’s very kind and helpful to the residents, and fellow staff. However, her own life is far from happy. Lurking in the background is her violent, abusive husband Ralph, who she’s trying to divorce. There’s a dramatic turn of events, when Ralph breaks into the care home and violently confronts Bernie. Colonel Bob and Cyril, two of the residents, come to Bernie’s rescue. Everyone is on edge, as the paramedics desperately try to save Bernie’s life.