MY FAVOURITE SUMMER Comes to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre continues its autumn 2020 season with Nick Lane's My Favourite Summer from 12 to 14 November.

Every once in a while a play comes along that reminds you of the glorious summers of your twenties. The long, hot days, that fantastic trip abroad, the moment when the girl you've fancied for years suddenly confesses that she feels the same way, and you live happily ever after...

This is not that play.

Instead join Dave in the summer of 1995 as he spends a month working alongside a nutcase called Melvin in the job from hell. Saving money to take the girl he loves away on holiday before she disappears out of his life forever has never been so hard. Still, at least the weather's nice.

Originally produced to huge acclaim by Hull Truck in 2007, and featuring a belting '90s soundtrack, My Favourite Summer is a comedy for everyone who's ever been in love and lived to tell the tale.

It's by Nick Lane, who has written the Christmas show at the SJT for the past four years, and is currently working on this year's, The Snow Queen. Presented as a semi-staged performance directed by the author, it's based on true events in his life.

Nick says: "I can't tell you how pleased I was when Paul Robinson, the Artistic Director at the SJT, asked to bring My Favourite Summer to the theatre as part of this special season. I wrote it originally for Hull Truck in 2007- it toured nationally but never made it up to Scarborough. Having got to know the audience here for the past five years I'm chuffed that they'll finally get to see it. I really hope they enjoy it.

"It's mostly based in reality - I did work at a scaffolding warehouse in my early twenties, I was crazy about the same girl I'd been crazy about since school and I did work with a bloke called Melvin who terrified me on an hourly basis. Having said that of course, and since the majority of what he says in the play is pretty much what he actually said at the time, I owe him a debt of gratitude - he ended up giving me plenty of material for the show.

"Not that I want to seek him out to thank him - I'm sure he's just as terrifying now!"

The My Favourite Summer cast is Matthew Booth (last seen at the SJT in Lost & Found in 2012 and The Last Train to Scarborough in 2014), Fiona Wass and Zach Lee.

My Favourite Summer can be seen in the Round at the SJT on Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November at 7.30pm, and on Saturday 14 November at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets, priced from £10, are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com

From 2 November, the SJT box office is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from noon to 5pm (8pm on days with live performance).

The SJT has introduced a comprehensive programme of measures for the safety and comfort of its audiences (https://www.sjt.uk.com/were_back) and has been awarded the VisitEngland 'We're Good to Go' industry standard mark, signifying that it adheres to government and public health guidance.

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