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The Boys We Were

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And we’re done. Three sold out nights, and it seems that The Boiz are back 👀😬😂

I know I’ve been spamming the hell out of this little show the past few weeks, but thank you again to every single person who has come and supported The Boys We Were. It honestly means the world.

So many people helped make this possible - from just listening to me ramble, to encouraging me to take the step and put it out there publicly.

Holly, our amazing director. She just got it straight away. She was in that working men’s club with us every single night, and was our number 1 fan.

To @billyryandoherty @john_joyceokeeffe @trickfrees @rpetes88 - The Boiz. You brought so much life to these characters that otherwise only existed in my head. I’m all of your number 1 fans. What a privilege to watch you every single night.

To @sharkyclarkey - our unpaid assistant who has had to deal with this taking over my life (and our kitchen!)!for the past couple of months. He doesn’t complain, and just goes along with these ridiculous things I decide to do. Thanks for being my number 1 cheerleader ❤️

To @gmfringe for giving us the platform to bring this to life. For anyone who is considering it and might have a story to tell, just go do it. It’s been an amazing way to test this out and see where it could go next. And to be alongside such a bloody brilliant group of creatives and shows - what a joy. Looking forward to being an audience member for the rest of the run.

Playing Lee - the prickly, spiteful and damaged one - has been both a joy and a challenge. But I’ve loved being in that skin and understanding his pain and telling his story.

The journey to this point has been long, and there’s so much for me to learn from these initial shows. I’ve woke up today feeling both super happy that it happened, and sad that it’s done (for now…) It’s going to take a while to top this.

For now, it’s back to the laptop while I try to delve deeper into the lads and discover what other gems there are. Who knows hey, maybe we will just get the band back together? 😂

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A great night supporting our good friend Tom at his play @theboyswewereplay as part of the Manchester Fringe Festival. What an incredible performance—we couldn’t be prouder. It’s always so important to support the people around you and celebrate the amazing work they put out into the world.

#ManchesterFringe #Theatre #SupportLocalTheatre #Manchester @pwtommyp @stgerman78

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Will they get the band back together? @theboyswewereplay 20-21 July @kingssalford

Photography by @craigeb @salford_ladsclub

What happens when the best thing that will ever happen to you happened before you were even 20?

Twenty years after a boyband with one album, a handful of singles and a lot of unfinished business quietly disappeared, its former members are invited to reunite for a one-off television special.

As old friendships, rivalries and regrets resurface, four ex-bandmates and their manager are forced to confront what happened after the dream ended, and whether some things are worth revisiting before it’s too late.

The Boys We Were is a comedy-drama about friendship, masculinity, ageing and the people who know us before the world tells us who we’re supposed to be.

Written by Tom Peters. Directed by Holly Ravenscroft with Rob Peters,
Patrick Jeffries, John Joyce O’Keefe, and Billy Doherty.
https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-boys-we-were/

Support Salford Lads Club https://salfordladsclub.org.uk

#drama #theatre #play #newwriting #boyband #reunion #bromance #relationships #friendships #theboyswewere #solocareer #kingsaems #salford #manchester #gmfringe #manchesterfringe #greatermanchesterfringe

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AND WE’RE OPEN 🎉

Night one of @theboyswewereplay is done. I am absolutely shattered but feeling emotional and on such a high after. Thank you to everyone who has come and supported the show, or has shown support in anyway.

Most importantly - thank you to five absolute legends who have been pivotal in bringing this story to life in ways I could never have imagined when I started writing the story of The Boiz.

To @billyryandoherty @john_joyceokeeffe @trickfrees and @rpetes88 - you’re all superstars and legends. You’ve taken these words and made them feel like real people with real lives and stories. I’m in awe and so privileged to watch and learn from you all like I did tonight.

And to the hidden legend that is Holly Ravenscroft. What a brilliant talent you have for directing this story in such a distinct way. Knew it from when we met, you’re a legend in so many ways.

Anyways - time to try and sleep before we go again tomorrow. A handful of tickets left, please go grab them while you can!! I guess the band really can get back together, hey? ❤️

Thanks for the fab photos @craigeb 📸

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❤️ The Boys We Were @kingssalford @theboyswewereplay tickets available Monday 20 July 7pm.

Tuesday 21 July SOLD OUT

https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-boys-we-were/

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@theboyswewereplay 19-21 July @kingssalford 📷 @craigeb @salford_ladsclub

Sunday 19 July SOLD OUT
Monday 20 July - just a few tickets left
Tuesday 21 July - SOLD OUT

The Boys We Were is a sharp, funny and unexpectedly moving new northern comedy-drama to the stage. Written by Liverpool-born actor and writer Tom Peters, the one-act play will run upstairs in The King’s Arms Theatre, Salford, 19-21 July at 7:30pm.

Once adored by thousands, now older, skinter and quietly falling apart, five former boyband members reunite in a function room to discuss a comeback nobody really believes in. As old rivalries resurface and years of resentment bubble back to the surface, one confession changes the room completely.

Set in the North of England and blending humour with emotional honesty, The Boys We Were explores masculinity, faded fame, identity and the complicated relationships men have with nostalgia and friendship. What begins as a comedy about a washed-up pop group gradually becomes something more intimate and unexpected.

The play is partly inspired by Peters’ own experience in a touring boyband during his late teens and early twenties.

Designed as a fast-paced, actor-led ensemble piece, The Boys We Were combines early-2000s boyband nostalgia with grounded northern realism, asking whether it’s ever too late to rewrite the ending.

Tickets greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-boys-we-were/

#TheBoysWeWere #friendship #reunion #kingsarms #salford #manchester #music #salfordladsclub #craigebarker #ftw #projektweekend #actors #drama #theatre #play #manchesterfringe #gmfringe #newwriting #debut #premiere #powertalentagency

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The Boys We Were 19-21 July @kingssalford @theboyswewereplay

What happens when the best thing that will ever happen to you happened before you were even 20?

Twenty years after a boyband with one album, a handful of singles and a lot of unfinished business quietly disappeared, its former members are invited to reunite for a one-off television special.

As old friendships, rivalries and regrets resurface, four ex-bandmates and their manager are forced to confront what happened after the dream ended, and whether some things are worth revisiting before it’s too late.

The Boys We Were is a comedy-drama about friendship, masculinity, ageing and the people who know us before the world tells us who we’re supposed to be.

Written by Tom Peters.
This interview with @ianrothwell.mr on @salfordcradio features director Holly Ravenscroft and actors Patrick Jeffries and Rob Peters.

It has been edited for social media but you can listen to the full version on the Salford City Radio website.

Hear more Greater Manchester Fringe interviews on Ian’s show A Little Bit of Everything 94.4FM on Tuesday nights from 6pm.

https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-boys-we-were/

#drama #theatre #play #newwriting #boyband #reunion #bromance #relationships #friendships #theboyswewere #solocareer #kingsaems #salford #manchester #gmfringe #manchesterfringe #greatermanchesterfringe #bbc #radio #interview

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#GMFRINGE - Get @reshare_app • @theboyswewereplay Less than TWO WEEKS until opening night.

We genuinely can’t wait to share The Boys We Were with you at @kingssalford from 19th to 21st July as part of @gmfringe

The response so far has been incredible, and with just over 30% of tickets remaining across the run, now’s the time to book if you’re thinking of coming.

The Boys We Were is a new comedy drama about shared history, second chances, and what it means to matter. It’s about the versions of ourselves our oldest friends never forget, and the question we all face eventually:

Who are you when the thing that defined you is over?

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The Boys We Were, 19-21 July @kingssalford @theboyswewereplay

What happens when the best thing that will ever happen to you happened before you were even 20?

Twenty years after a boyband with one album, a handful of singles and a lot of unfinished business quietly disappeared, its former members are invited to reunite for a one-off television special.

Written by Liverpool-born actor and writer Tom Peters and set in the North of England, The Boys We Were blends humour with emotional honesty, exploring masculinity, faded fame, identity and the complicated relationships men have with nostalgia and friendship. What begins as a comedy about a washed-up pop group gradually becomes something more intimate and unexpected.

The play is partly inspired by Peters’ own experience in a touring boyband during his late teens and early twenties.

He said: “We had incredible highs - Wembley, massive crowds, fangirls - but when it ended, it was over overnight. Watching documentaries and interviews with artists talk about how much the industry affected them made me realise how much people spend their lives chasing those moments again. I started writing the play in early 2025, but after losing one of my former bandmates later that year, it made me think very differently about the story. Eventually, I realised it was something I needed to tell.”

Written by Tom Peters.
Directed by Holly Ravenscroft.
Starring John Joyce-O’Keeffe, Carl Loughlin, Patrick Jeffries, Rob Peters and Tom Peters.

Tickets https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/the-boys-we-were

#drama #comedy #play #theatre #salford #manchester #greatermanchester #gmfringe #fringe #ftw #projektweekend #boyband #reunion #behingthescenes #masculinity #fame #dreamisover #rivals #rivalry

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