Silvertown by Jonny Woo

Excerpts from a new play by Jonny Woo; a work in progress sharing.

It’s 1967, closing time at The Kent Arms, a gay pub on The Albert Road in the Royal Docks. Ted,
the long serving barman and Rachel (Raymond), pub landlord are closing up after a night which
was supposed to be a celebration of the passing of the new laws which partially legalised sex
between consenting men.

Jonny Woo has been developing this fictitious story based on anecdotal stories about the very real
Kent Arms Pub and the area of Silvertown and North Woolwich. He presented a sharing of a first
draft of the play in 2021 and has intermittently been working on the play since then. This is an
opportunity to see where the play is now following further developments in his writing practice and the sharpening of the story.

The evening will include rehearsed readings of scenes by actors and will be followed by a Q&A and
opportunities to share thoughts on the lives of gay men and queer people then and now and the
process of writing and researching the play.