A series of interconnecting tales told across a variety of media, Plays, Films, Poems, Songs and the latest venture - Graphic Novels. The community has thus far been the backdrop for the feature film LOOKIN' FOR LUCKY, the short films THE WATCHER and the award winning I'M FRANK MORGAN. The plays are I'M FRANK MORGAN, THE BENCH, RANK, STRAWBERR
Y JACK and DIANE'S DELI. All these productions are critically acclaimed and thrilled audiences around the North West of England. Each tale is a self contained story, you can jump on board at any point with any story here, you don’t have to have seen any of the other productions in the series to enjoy the tale you are watching. However; when you see more than one you start to see the deeply embedded links in the tales, the ripples from events that have shaped the characters and the community; the true depth and sense of scale of this series, a series that will one day surely make the transition to TV. They have been described as a graphic illustration of Broken Britain, a Canterbury Tales for the 21st Century, a Chronicle for Today.
2014 see's the launch of the graphic novel - ONE SHOT, which will feature many of the colourful characters and places from the series thus far. An epic tale in the mould of BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN it will be dripping in Salford Noir. Part 1 has already received excellent reviews.
‘I live in a community like Paradise Heights so there is a reality at the core, and it’s great to see such a positive reaction from audiences to these stories; I think there is something in each of them that strikes a chord across a wide range of age groups. I believe in telling real issue based stories, issues that sometimes get tossed around in Parliament in between the important business of flipping homes and fiddling expense claims.
‘Paradise Heights is a deprived community with more than its fair share of problems, problems reflected from the issues seen in most media headlines today. Yes these stories are hard hitting but they are shot through with a rich vein of humour, the kind of humour people find when faced with all kinds of adversity. It’s a tough area but at there is a beating heart at the centre, a kinship. These are just ordinary people facing some of life's extra-ordinary dilemmas. It's the choices they make facing up to - or running away from - these problems that ultimately defines who they are. The Heights now has a really diverse range of characters brought to life by incredibly talented and passionate thus far ‘unknown’ actors and crew that I owe a huge debt to, ultimately this form of art is a collaborative process, without their incredible efforts the work stays on the page. Some of the characters cross over or are referred to from story to story, it’s sort of like Camberwick Green with Hoodie’s or even a council estate Canterbury Tales. I’m looking for a publishing deal to get the first five scripts in one volume entitled ‘Low Tales from The Heights’ – that probably sounds a bit lofty but there’s nothing wrong with having a dream is there? When I started out 10 years ago I just wanted to act, I didn’t dream I’d be writing, directing, producing and ...oh yeah...acting. To stop doing any of them now would be like hacking a limb off...'
Joe O'Byrne
24/11/2024
Truth. Commitment. Consequence...Conscience is a Killer
'Stephen King meets Jimmy McGovern'
'I'd forgotten what a roaring demon Morgan actually is. With nightmare flourishes worthy of Ramsey Campbell or Robert Aichman. Morgan is both Richard III and MacBeth. It's an astonishing piece and a tour-de-force performance from O'Byrne. It's a Hell of a show. Literally.' Steve Balshaw, Grimmfest.
Part of a Double Bill of Neo Noir, Urban Fairy Tales Coming To Grand Theatre Blackpool Studio over the weekends of 7/8 December and 14/15 December, and on tour all around the UK in 2025. Check the website for details...'
I'm Frank Morgan - Rewired from the award winning writer and director of The Haunting of Blaine Manor, written & directed by Joe O'Byrne.
20/11/2024
Coming to The Met Bury, in 2025 😈
When a woman turns up at a café late one night, a chain of events is set in motion that will have devastating effects... Joe O’Byrne returns to The Met with his next tale from Paradise Heights.
20/11/2024
Coming to The Met Bury, in 2025 😈
They say Christmas is a time for angels… a time for miracles. Strawberry Jack Grundy may have found his angel. Now all he needs is a miracle… Joe O’Byrne returns with a Christmas tale from Paradise Heights.
17/11/2024
Deaf Freddie: The Luca Brasi of Paradise Heights...Strawberry Jack: A Christmas Tale from Paradise Heights comes to the Grand Theatre Blackpool on 7/8 December and over half the tickets are already sold, book the best tickets left now...
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Videos
RANK: A Tale from Paradise Heights - Full Trailer
I've been waiting almost 14 years to bring this back. I don't just bring things back though, I take them to the next level. This one is going to blow your minds. Urban grit meets the supernatural. Stephen King meets Jimmy McGovern.
This one is set on Halloween 🎃🎃🎃
Book your tickets at the links below:
Blackpool Grand 23/24/25 October
https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/event/rank-a-tale-from-paradise-heights
The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight 26 October
https://gladstonetheatre.org.uk/events/rank/
The Muni Theatre, Colne 7 November
On Sale Soon
Take a Ride Tonight, with the Dogz of Paradise Heights
#talesfromparadiseheights #rankatalefromparadiseheights
Rank: A Tale from Paradise Heights returns to stages later this year. Set on Halloween it's probably the most intense of all the Tales from Paradise Heights productions. A Halloween night that takes us from the mean n moody and tonight violent streets of Paradise Heights and crosses over into supernatural territory. Something wicked this way comes...
Here's a teaser trailer, the full trailer will drop on Tuesday 11 June.
Big thanks to Ed Blaney/Trigger Happy for use of the track 'Busted' a banger of a Salford Tune...check out Ed's brilliant latest album here, they play Glastonbury this year.
https://yerrrr.bandcamp.com/album/the-severance
The play is already on sale at:
Blackpool Grand Theatre 23/24 & 25 October
https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/event/rank-a-tale-from-paradise-heights
The Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight
https://gladstonetheatre.org.uk/events/rank/
...and on sale soon at The Muni Theatre in Colne, more venues and dates to follow including Rhyl Pavilion and Buxton Opera House.
More info on Tues 11/6/24
#talesfromparadiseheights #rankatalefromparadiseheights #DianesDeliATalefromParadiseHeights #TheBenchATalefromParadiseHeights #strawberryjackatalefromparadiseheights #ImFrankMorganATalefromParadiseHeights Gladstone Theatre
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The Story Do Far...
Paradise Heights is a community created by writer/director Joe O'Byrne. It is also a multi media endeavour, a series of separate but interconnecting tales covering film, theatre, poetry, song, novelisation, graphic novel and radio. For more info visit www.talesfromparadiseheights.com
The community has thus far been the backdrop for the feature film Lookin’ for Lucky, the short films The Watcher: A Tale from Paradise Heights and the award winning I'm Frank Morgan. The plays are I'm Frank Morgan, The Bench, Rank, Strawberry Jack, Diane's Deli and I’m Frank Morgan: RewiRED. All these productions are critically acclaimed and thrilled audiences around the North West of England.
Each tale is a self contained story, you can jump on board at any point with any story here, you don’t have to have seen any of the other productions in the series to enjoy the tale you are watching. However; when you see more than one you start to see the deeply embedded links in the tales, the ripples from events that have shaped the characters and the community; the true depth and sense of scale of this series, a series that will one day surely make the transition to TV. They have been described as a graphic illustration of Broken Britain, a Canterbury Tales for the 21st Century, a Chronicle for Today.
2014 saw the launch of the graphic novel - One Shot - Part 1 which will feature many of the colourful characters and places from the series thus far. An epic tale in the mould of BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN it will be dripping in Salford Noir. Part 1 has already received excellent reviews. 2015 saw the launch of my first novel in the series The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights, available on Amazon at the following link:
- the novel is great introduction to the series and again has received many great reviews, including one from Martina Cole.
‘I live in a community like Paradise Heights so there is a reality at the core, and it’s great to see such a positive reaction from audiences to these stories; I think there is something in each of them that strikes a chord across a wide range of age groups. I believe in telling real issue based stories, issues that sometimes get tossed around in Parliament in between the important business of flipping homes and fiddling expense claims.
‘Paradise Heights is a deprived community with more than its fair share of problems, problems reflected from the issues seen in most media headlines today. Yes these stories are hard hitting but they are shot through with a rich vein of humour, the kind of humour people find when faced with all kinds of adversity. It’s a tough area but at there is a beating heart at the centre, a kinship. These are just ordinary people facing some of life's extra-ordinary dilemmas.
It's the choices they make facing up to - or running away from - these problems that ultimately defines who they are.
The Heights now has a really diverse range of characters brought to life by incredibly talented and passionate thus far ‘unknown’ actors and crew that I owe a huge debt to, ultimately this form of art is a collaborative process, without their incredible efforts the work stays on the page. Some of the characters cross over or are referred to from story to story, it’s sort of like Camberwick Green with Hoodie’s or even a council estate Canterbury Tales. I’m looking for a publishing deal to get the first five scripts in one volume entitled ‘Low Tales from The Heights’ – that probably sounds a bit lofty but there’s nothing wrong with having a dream is there? When I started out 10 years ago I just wanted to act, I didn’t dream I’d be writing, directing, producing and ...oh yeah...acting. To stop doing any of them now would be like hacking a limb off...'
In addition to these tales I have a play that is set outside the world of Tales from Paradise Heights - currently (Autumn 2018) touring. The play is the award winning The Haunting of Blaine Manor and you will find posts about the play on this group page.
Coming soon is the first animated film in the series The Night Death Put Me Down, in which I will be collaborating again with Darren McGinn and Justin Wetherill, this to be the first in a series of animated tales.
