Mark Billingham's THE OTHER HALF to Play Birmingham Rep, 10 Nov

Pain, loss and violence might be the lifeblood of crime fiction but they also feature at the heart of the very best country music. And now the two come together in an original show, THE OTHER HALF, written by award-winning crime writer Mark Billingham with music by leading British Americana country duo, My Darling Clementine at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Monday 10 November.

Set in a rundown Memphis bar, three couples tell their very different stories. The bliss and the heartbreak, desire, death and domestic horror. That long and difficult search for the other half...

Using the fantastic songs of Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish, aka My Darling Clementine, as a springboard, The Other Half is a unique collaboration combining storytelling and song.

Mark Billingham featured the songs of his favourite contemporary country artists, My Darling Clementine, in his latest novel, The Bones Beneath, but The Other Half will be the first time they have worked together, as Billingham explains:

"I've written a good deal about the unusual horrors that can befall people, but when you listen to these songs, you realise that everyday life contains so much powerful drama and ordinary tragedy.

Just trying to love somebody, to hold a relationship together when it's dying, to keep going when love destroys you. I wanted to write about the fact that love can do a lot more damage than hate and the songs of My Darling Clementine describe that perfectly, so it's a thrill to be working with Michael and Lou."

He continues, "The Other Half is about people looking for something, so there's hope too and there's always the possibility of redemption. Let's not forget that I'm a crime-writer though, so I may sneak a murder or two in there as well..."

Michael Weston King, whose own book, The Complete Lyrics And Other Writings, comes out in 2015, reflects, "Some of the finest song-writing storytellers ever have come from country music - Merle Haggard, Tom T. Hall, Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Hank Williams - writers of dark tales of everyday life, vignettes of heartache. These writers and their ideals are what we held dear while making the My Darling Clementine albums, so it is especially rewarding to see our songs being used to follow on in that storytelling tradition."

As for the writer of the 'title' song, Lou Dalgleish says "When I wrote The Other Half for our debut album, I had no idea it would become the title for a new, exciting collaboration with Mark. It is such an honour to know that he felt inspired to write a story around our songs. I only hope he knows what he's letting himself in for. Working on stage with a bickering, married (well, at the moment) couple, whose songs often bring laughter, tears and a whole lot of trouble, can be a bumpy ride. But I can't wait, let the journey begin.""

Mark Billingham is one of the UK's most acclaimed and popular crime writers. His series of London-based novels featuring D.I. Tom Thorne has twice won him the Theakston's Crime Novel Of The Year Award and his debut novel, Sleepyhead was chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. Each of his novels has been a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller. A television series based on the Thorne novels was screened in 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. Mark's latest novel is The Bones Beneath.

My Darling Clementine are the leading lights of the British Americana/country music scene who have to date released two highly acclaimed albums, How Do You Plead? (2011) and The Reconciliation? (2013). Comprising husband-and-wife duo of Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish the band have a growing legion of fans, including such famous figures as Graham Norton and Bob Harris who've praised the couple while playing their songs on their BBC radio shows.

Mining a rich seam of country classicism, in particular the "countrypolitan" sounds of late '60's Nashville, My Darling Clementine's debut album took the Americana world by storm and was hailed as the "finest country album ever made by a British artist." Its follow-up garnered even greater praise, seeing the band acknowledged by the Americana Music Association in Nashville in September 2013 and the album finding itself in many top ten lists of last year, including the New York Daily News, Uncut and hip USA taste-maker web site, Popmatters.

The Other Half, which is approximately one hour long, features Mark Billingham reading his story and My Darling Clementine, performing as a duo, punctuating the narrative with those songs that inspired it. After the interval, audiences will be able to enjoy a full live set from My Darling Clementine.

For more information, visit www.markbillingham.com and www.mydarlingclementinemusic.co.uk.

Tickets: £15. Box Office: 0121 245 2072 / Birmingham-rep.co.uk. All performances play THE STUDIO, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP.

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