Sophie Lancaster: Film premiere of Simon Armitage’s Black Roses at Dancehouse

This Sunday, the Dancehouse Theatre will host the premiere screening of the new film, Black Roses. The dramatic feature is a meditation on the life and death of Sophie Lancaster, who was brutally murdered in Bacup, aged only 20. Targeted solely because she was a goth, her death highlighted the problem of hate crime in the UK. Black Roses was written by the acclaimed poet Simon Armitage with Sophie’s mother Sylvia. The work was first produced as a BBC radio play, and was later adapted for the stage at the Royal Exchange. Julie Hesmondhalgh, formerly of Coronation Street, stars as Sylvia, who tells candid tales of her daughter’s short life. Mixed in, are scenes featuring Armitage’s poetry. The screening will be followed by a Q+A with the filmmakers and cast, including both Armitage and Hesmondhalgh.

Sun 10 May, The Dancehouse, 10A Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 5QA, 6.15pm (doors), 7pm (film), £15, www.thedancehouse.co.uk