Exclusive: Halo Jones stage play at the Lass O’Gowrie

By John Freeman on November 18, 2011

Ballad of Halo Jones Stage Play Poster - 2012

Manchester’s Lass O’Gowrie pub – already famed for its comics and Doctor Who-related events – is staging Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s The Ballad of Halo Jones as a fringe play in January next year.

“It’s an adaptation of the first two books using the ground floor or the pub as the set,” landlord Gareth Kavangah tells us. “Rebellion have approved it and Alan Moore has given it his blessing too, which is lovely.

“We cast a week today and costumes will be provided by the students from Manchester Metropolitan University.”

The play is being staged as part of the pub’s inaugural Midwinter Lassfest fringe festival. Other treats to be staged include an adaptation of Russell T Davies’ Midnight, beer tasting with Neil Morrissey and live episodes of Coronation Street from 1968, staged in the pub as part of a Jack Rosenthal season.

The cover of In The Red Theatre Company's 1987 Ballad of Halo Jones stage play programme, designed by John Freeman — *The cover of In The Red Theatre Company’s 1987 Ballad of Halo Jones stage play programme, designed by John Freeman*

First published in 2000AD, The Ballad of Halo Jones has been brought to the stage before. In fact, the first stage play was directed by my partner back in the 1980s, Clare Walters and I did all the PR materials for it based on imagery from the original comic.

This first adaptation – more info on this web site – was first performed by In The Red Theatre Company at the Edinburgh Festival in 1987, and then taken on a UK tour.

• More info on the Lass, as ever can be found at thelass.co.uk and Lassfest at the (soon to be updated) lassfest.co.uk

More on the first adaptation

• YouTube – Night Network feature Part 1
• YouTube – Night Network feature Part 2

More on the Liverpool adaptation

• Script for the 2001 adaptation by Andrew Ness

THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES IN PRINT
AmazonUK Affiliate Links

• The Ballad of Halo Jones: Full Colour Omnibus Edition (Rebellion, 2023)

• The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones (2000AD Collector’s Edition, Rebellion 2003)

• The Ballad Of Halo Jones Volume 1 (Rebellion 2018)

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.