"We want the audience to use their imaginations when they come to the theatre," says Matthew Illife, who is directing the European premiere of The Burnt Part Boys, at Park Theatre, in Finsbury Park this summer. The musical is opening in London after an Off Broadway run in 2010 and is a coming of age tale that follows a group of teenagers in West Virginia who go to extreme lengths to preserve the burnt part of the site of a mining accident which killed their fathers ten years prior.

Matthew is approaching the show from a less literal perspective to encourage the audience to interpret the play in their own way, particularly as props are scarcely used.

He explains: "A lot of the time the characters are climbing up a mountain and we haven't got huge mountainous terrain for the cast to trek through on the stage at Park Theatre, so we have had to really pool our resources together and use ropes, chairs and human bodies to tell the story.  "The theatre in Finsbury Park is a great place for the play to be set as the scenes are relevant to the area, which has one of the highest rates of single parent families in London. The story shows what it is like to grow up in a single parent household and although these boys have lost their fathers for different reasons than people in the local community may have done, they are still dealing with loss and the hardship of growing up without their loved one.

"Another amazing thing about Park Theatre is that it is a cultural beacon in a community that really needs it, as there are accessible theatre prices that are almost the same price as a cinema ticket and they also do a lot of outreach work that engages with the neighbourhood, as well as being a great night out."

Matthew has previously directed Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Landor Theatre, in Clapham and did a training programme for young directors at The Albany, in Deptford, before completing another training programme for young directors at the Old Vic, in Waterloo.  Later this month, he will be assistant director for National Youth Music Theatre in their new show Brass at the Hackney Empire but also wanted to get involved in The Burnt Part Boys after listening to a cast recording of the music.

He says: "I thought it just had the most beautiful harmonies in the score with a folk, blues vibe running through it and also felt the play itself was incredibly moving.  "It is a coming of age story but also a tale of this community dealing with loss and these young boys who are finding themselves while also learning the value of not growing up too fast."  The Kent-born director studied drama at the University of Bristol and used to be a actor but turned to directing after realising he was too bossy.  Matthew says: "I was never very good at performing but always had the goal of being a director, which has luckily proven successful so far.

"It has been a total joy to be given a piece that I love directing so much and having the responsibility of bringing it to such a great venue. Park is an amazing theatre to work in and is surrounded by such a vibrant community, with the best fruit and vegetable stalls that you'll find in London!"

The Burnt Part Boys, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, N4 3JP, Wednesday August 10 until Saturday September 3, 7.45pm. Details: 020 7870 6876, parktheatre.co.uk