JACK'S ASHES
by Matt Banes & Tim Marriott
Teaser trailer click - HERE
"163 to win in twenty overs, we've got this - come on!"
The chase is on! Can Jack lead his team to victory?
Sensitive, wryly humorous… a tour de force of a performance’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Chiswick W4
Former professional cricketer Jack gives his team talk, but as wickets fall like a ticking time bomb so the anecdotes from the ashes of his career prove less than inspirational…
As Jack pads up to be the last man in to go out and save the day, Jack's Ashes offers a humorous insight into the mental frailties that can cloud the mind and the distractions that can lead to ruin.
Jack is performed by veteran theatre and TV allrounder Tim Marriott (BBCTV's The Brittas Empire) and is designed to be delivered in any space so there are no boundaries to where a performance can be staged and bad light won't stop play!
Don't be caught out, get on the front foot, score your tickets before they run out...
WINNER - Best Theatre Award, Adelaide Fringe 23
"The sublime Marriott serves this tale of friendship, failure and the need for men to speak out with a straight bat!"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bohemian Britain
"Heartfelt and compelling. Must be seen to be appreciated"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adelaide Review
"A compelling, pleasantly humorous performance that packed a punch for audience members from all walks of life"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The West Australian
"Fantastic. A serious message but delivered with a lot of laughs. I cannot recommend it highly enough"
"The perfect balance of humour and heart"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ South Western Times
Performed by Tim Marriott
with recorded contributions from the cricket world including:
Brett Lee
David 'Bumble' Lloyd
Ed Cowan
Jonathan Rice
Robert 'Crash' Craddock
Shane Watson
Lisa Sthalekar
and Toby from 'Cricket District'
Prologue: HERE
Interview with 'Jack': HERE
Full Trailer: HERE
Developed in consultation with professional sports bodies and mental health charities, ‘Jack's Ashes’ engages through humour in order to reduce stigma and promote conversation about mental fitness.
Performances can be followed by a 'fire circle' talk back led by a professional counsellor offering practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety.
JACK toured Australia Jan-April 2023 and again in 2024, including performances at the Adelaide Oval, Bondi Pavilion in Sydney, the Gabba in Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Sydney Cricket Ground and the WACA in Perth, with additional schools performances at Scots, Shore and Cranbrook in Sydney.
Availability - Australia Jan-March 25, UK April-September 25
JACK is also available through LIVE & LOCAL - touring info HERE
ALL ENQUIRIES: TM@smokescreenprods.com - +44 (0)7773 777521
JACK'S ASHES was developed with support from Arts Council England and is presented in partnership with
Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association.
Written by Matt Banes & Tim Marriott
Support materials & workshops led by
Originally developed with Hannah Maxwell, Jonathan Rice & Nicholas Collett
Matt Banes is a former professional cricketer with Durham MCCU and Kent County Cricket Club.
Former BBCTV sit-com star Tim Marriott (Brittas Empire) is an award winning international producer and performer, touring in the UK and internationally with Jack, Watson, Appraisal, and PTS awareness project, ‘Shell Shock’.
Annabel Fen Marriott MAEd, DIP CBT, DIP HYP (ASCH) is an author, teacher, counsellor and therapist. A former senior teacher in secondary education, she is an Anxiety UK practitioner, currently delivering family support with UK charity Holding Space. She is the author of a pocket book guide, Toolkit for Anxiety and a children's book, Superbirds