A new play by a Lancaster University lecturer in creative writing explores the lives of three young people as they deal with the aftermath of a devastating plague.
Playwright Tajinder Singh Hayer‘s new work North Country is performed by award-winning intercultural theatre company Freedom Studios.
The action, described as Game of Thrones meets Walking Dead, examines how the trio reshape themselves and their communities over the next 40 years.
Together and separately they struggle to survive, each bringing together their people and their communities as they try to remake their world.
But their biggest challenge doesn’t come from starvation or zombie-like cannibals. It comes from within.
The cast will feature actors Natalie Davies (who played school bully Shelley in ITV’s Coronation Street), Kamal Kaan (Brief Encounters at Bradford Interchange, Freedom Studios) and Philip Duguid-McQuillan (Jumpers for Goalposts, Paines Plough/Hull Truck/Watford Palace Theatre and The Bush Theatre). The play is designed by Uzma Kazi.
Bradford born Taj has written for the stage, radio and screen. He has been writer on attachment at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, writer in residence at BBC Radio Drama Manchester and was nominated as one of the Royal Court’s 50 promising playwrights in 2006-7.
He won the BBC’s Spin new writing award in 2003 and has written for BBC Radio Four, Radio Three and the Asian Network as well as the CBeebies Channel and has had short films shown at festivals around the world.
The production is supported by the Arts Council of England, Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Lancaster University.
The post-apocalyptic new play will run at The Wild Woods Theatre in Bradford from 26th October – 5th November 2016.
• For more information and booking visit www.freedomstudios.co.uk
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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