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Busy year for North East playwrights

Two North East playwrights are facing a busy year as eight of their shows will be professionally produced this year.

Last year saw them take their political comedy Maggie’s End to London, while Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather, which played at the Gala, in Durham, told the true story of the 1909 West Auckland team who won the first World Cup.

Both those plays will be performed this year along with six others from the writers’ repertoire, including two premieres – God Only Knows and a new comedy called Photo Finish.

Ed said: “It was a hectic but really enjoyable year. Maggie’s End attracted 2,000 people in London, which caused waves there, and Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather was seen by nearly 4,500 people in Durham, which was amazing.

“It looks like this year will be even more exciting.”

Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather will be at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, in May, while Maggie’s End gets a third outing at the Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield, in March.

Trevor added: “We’ve sold out the 1,200-seat Theatre Royal before with Dirty Dusting and Waiting For Gateaux, so we are confident that people will come along to see Alf Ramsey in May and make it another fantastic occasion.

“Very few local writers have had the good fortune to stage their work at the Theatre Royal, so to do it for the third time will be a very special moment for us.”

The duo will also be returning to their original home next year, the 400-seat Customs House, South Shields.

As part of the 15th anniversary of the Customs House, the writers have four plays on at the venue this year, starting with Dirty Dusting, which kicked off this week.

In the autumn they will return with their Bob And Shirley trilogy.

Trevor said: “Our last four plays have been quite serious subjects; the death of Margaret Thatcher, loan sharks, creationism and the 1909 West Auckland World Cup-winning team, so it’s great to be writing an outrageous comedy again.”

God Only Knows, another new play, is set to premiere in June.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .