What Does It Take To Slay A Dragon at 53two

In this new play by Manchester writer Rebekah Harrison, a dashboard flag sparks a spiral of consequences. Premiering at 53two this June, What Does It Take to Slay a Dragon unpicks the fragile threads of identity, belonging and belief in modern Britain – and how quickly they can unravel.

The story follows Billy, a delivery driver who’s asked to remove an England flag from his van. As Billy grapples with what the flag means to him – and what it signals to others – he finds himself caught in a shifting landscape of assumptions, loyalties and blurred lines. This is a play about symbols and the stories we tell about ourselves. It asks – where does patriotism end and nationalism begin? And who gets to decide?

Directed by Martha Simon, the play comes from Take Back Theatre, a company formed in 2015 by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, writer Rebekah Harrison and filmmaker Grant Archer. Rooted in Manchester and driven by activism, the collective has built a reputation for urgent, socially engaged work that puts people at the centre. From short-form works and political events to full-length plays, their aim has always been to provoke dialogue and build empathy through storytelling.

And it certainly feels like What Does It Take to Slay A Dragon is a thought-provoking and timely play – a conversation-starter, powered by a gripping, and perhaps relatable, narrative. It’s a production for now – tackling urgent themes that ripple across class, community and culture.

53two, with its intimate, flexible studio space beneath Manchester’s arches, makes an ideal home for this kind of work. The venue has become known for championing new writing and supporting local voices, and the immediacy of its setting only sharpens the play’s emotional impact.

Thoughtful, topical and resonant, this new production is set to ignite debate and reflection, long after the curtain falls.