Swindon charity and hit West End show collaborate

West End and Edinburgh Fringe hit Myra’s Story will visit the Wyvern Theatre on Tuesday 4 February 2025.

The team behind the show are partnering on the night with Swindon charity Big Breakfast Plus to raise funds and awareness. 

Big Breakfast Plus is a small organisation run entirely by volunteers, assisted by three part time staff. 

They serve freshly cooked breakfasts for people who are homeless, those without cooking facilities, those suffering from food poverty and/or food insecurity and people in distress whether through addiction, health, or other need. 

The guests are often isolated, because they often exist on the margins of society. There is no referral system; the service is open to all every morning between 7.30am and 9am in the centre of Swindon. 

Volunteers from Big Breakfast Plus will be available before and after the show at the Wyvern Theatre to speak with audience members, provide information and offer insights to how individuals can get involved. 

The volunteers will be conducting a bucket collection at the end of the performance to raise funds for the charity.

Charlotte Mannion, one of the charity’s trustees, said: “We offer old fashioned hospitality to everyone who needs it.  

"We are guided by our values; we are non-judgemental, we respect human dignity and demonstrate acceptance in all that we do. “Everyone who walks through our door should feel as if they are in a normal community café, the only difference being that no money changes hands. We are open every morning with breakfasts cooked to order, table service and friendly volunteers.  

"We offer this to provide a choice for those who often don’t get to choose in any other environment”

Myra’s Story tells the unforgettable tale of a middle-aged homeless alcoholic struggling to survive on the streets of Dublin as she begs from passers-by on the famous Ha’penny Bridge.

Written by Irish playwright Brian Foster and starring acclaimed actor Fíonna Hewitt-Twamley in her “...vivid, virtuoso performance” (WhatsOnStage) as Myra, who through her gripping performance plays a variety of larger-than-life Dublin characters, this turbulent piece explores the hilarious, tragic, and heart-wrenching events that have led Myra to this point of despair.

Writer Brian Foster said: “I couldn’t be more delighted to bring Myra’s Story back to the stage in this exciting new tour across the UK & Ireland. 

"Since its inception, the play has built up a phenomenal fan base across the nation and I can’t wait to bring it to new cities so that more audiences can experience this witty, eye-opening, and captivating story”.

Myra’s Story is produced by Brian Foster and Trafalgar Theatre Productions. 

To find out more about Big Breakfast Plus, people can visit https://bigbreakfastplus.org.uk/

To book tickets for Myra’s Story, they can visit https://trafalgartickets.com/wyvern-theatre-swindon/en-GB/event/play/myras-story-tickets