BROKEN BISCUITS Tour Begins Tonight in Newcastle upon Tyne

Paines Plough and Live Theatre present the world premiere of Tom Wells' new coming-of-age comedy Broken Biscuits. Faye Christall will play Megan, Grace Hogg-Robinson will play Holly and Andrew Reed will play Ben.

Paines Plough held nationwide open auditions and cast Faye and Andrew from their search and Grace will be making her professional stage debut.

Directed by Co-Artistic Director of Paines Plough James Grieve, Broken Biscuits will play at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne from tonight 5 until 22 October with an official press night on 11 October. Broken Biscuits will then tour the UK visiting The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Hull Truck Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Crucible Studio, Sheffield, The Tobacco Factory, Bristol and The Door, Birmingham Rep.

"The point is: we're losers. Nobodies. Carry on like this, we're losers forever. And we don't have to be. Fresh start, two months to completely one hundred per cent reinvent ourselves. And I know exactly how we can do that."

Megan, Holly and Ben are definitely not the cool kids. But Megan has a plan. One long summer holiday to change their lives. One sure path to coolness. One amazing transformation, through the power of song. Holed up in Megan's garden shed, three friends try to change their fortunes in a beautiful, heart-warming, laugh-out-loud, coming-of-age story for our times. Rock on.

Playwright Tom Wells said: "Broken Biscuits is a play about three teenagers starting a band - I wanted to write about the summer you finish your GCSEs, being sixteen, full of big hopes and big worries, figuring things out a bit and trying new stuff. And I wanted to have a go at writing some lyrics, in the DIY spirit of a teenage band, fill the play with music and see what happened. I'm thrilled that Broken Biscuits is being brought to the stage by Live Theatre and Paines Plough and we've been really lucky to cast three soulful young actors with funny bones as Megan, Holly and Ben."

Co-Artistic Directors of Paines Plough, James Grieve and George Perrin, said: "Tom first joined Paines Plough as part of our Future Perfect group for emerging playwrights in 2009. We have always adored his writing and following the huge success of Jumpers for Goalposts we are honoured to be co-producing Broken Biscuits with Live Theatre Newcastle. It's a gorgeous, hilarious, heart-squeezing play that shows why Tom is one of our best loved modern writers. Featuring original songs from Matthew Robins and a supremely talented cast of future stars, we can't wait to share it with audiences in Newcastle and on tour across the UK."

Literary Manager at Live Theatre, Gez Casey, said: "We are delighted to be working once again with partners Paines Plough on the world premiere of a new Tom Wells play. Broken Biscuits is a joyous celebration of teenage friendship, a journey of individual and collective discovery through music. The play is shot through with whip-smart dialogue, vibrant and engaging characters and an infectious generosity of spirit."

Faye Christall plays Megan. Faye is making her debut with Paines Plough and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Her theatre credits include Gone Viral (St James Theatre) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Edinburgh Fringe). Faye's film credits include Cute Little Buggers 3D and Awake and is also part of the Cirque du Soleil Company.

Grace Hogg-Robinson plays Holly. Broken Biscuits marks Grace's stage debut, her previous credits on television include the regular role of Beth Kennedy in The Coroner: Series 1 & 2 (BBC1 & BBC Worldwide) as well as appearances in Casualty (BBC1), Camping (Sky Atlantic), Diary of a Snob (Nickelodeon), Doctors (BBC1) and Suspects (Channel 5). Grace's film credits include Edge of Tomorrow (Warner Bros.), Birdhouse (NFTS), Candy Floss (HAUS Pictures) & The Nest (Beyond Fiction).

Andrew Reed plays Ben. Andrew was born in South Tyneside, he trained with Project A at the Theatre Royal Newcastle and was a member of the Customs House Youth Theatre. Andrew's previous stage credits include The Fifteen Streets, Drama Baby and Scrapbook, Customs House South Shields, The Machines, Takeaway and 13 (all Theatre Royal Studio Newcastle and on tour).

Tom Wells is a writer from Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. His plays include Folk (UK Tour, 2016), Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith, 2015/16), Symphony (Edinburgh Festival, UK Tour, Soho Theatre 2013/14), Jumpers for Goalposts (Bush Theatre and UK Tour, 2013/14), Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith, 2013/14), Cosmic (East Yorkshire Tour, 2013), Jonsey (Lyric Hammersmith, Greenwich Playhouse, Watford Palace Theatre, National Theatre Inside Out, BBC Radio 4, 2012), The Kitchen Sink (Bush Theatre, 2011, winner of the Most Promising Playwright - Critics Circle, 2011 and the 2012 George Devine Award), Fossils (Bush Theatre, 2011), Spacewang (Hull Truck Theatre, 2011), Me, As A Penguin (West Yorkshire Playhouse, 2009 and Arcola Theatre / UK Tour, 2010), Yeti (Bush Theatre, 2010), About A Goth (Paines Plough / Oran Mor, 2009) and Notes For First Time Astronauts (Paines Plough LATER at Soho Theatre, 2009). Ben & Lump, which Tom wrote as part of the Coming Up season was broadcast on Channel 4 in spring of 2012. In 2009 Tom was a member of Paines Plough / Channel 4's Future Perfect scheme and in 2012 he was Associate Playwright at Hull Truck. Tom is currently under commission to The Drum Plymouth, Northern Broadsides, The Royal Court and the National Theatre. He is developing a new idea for Leftbank Pictures.

Broken Biscuits is part of Paines Plough's Programme 2016 which has also included Sabrina Mahfouz's With A Little Bit of Luck, Come To Where I'm From: London, the return of Roundabout to Summerhall and subsequent UK tour and Duncan MacMillan's Every Brilliant Thing which will embark upon a UK tour in September.

LISTINGS:

A Paines Plough and Live Theatre production
Broken Biscuits

Writer: Tom Wells
Songs by: Matthew Robins
Direction: James Grieve
Design: Lily Arnold
Lighting: Joshua Pharo
Sound: Dominic Kennedy

Suitable for ages 12+

Live Theatre
5 - 22 October
Press Night: 11 October
www.live.org.uk
Box Office: 0191 232 1232

The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth
25 - 29 October
www.theatreroyal.com
Box Office: 01752 627 222

Hull Truck Theatre
1 - 5 November
www.hulltruck.co.uk
Box Office: 01482 323 638

McCarthy Studio, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
8 - 13 November
www.sjt.uk.com
Box Office: 01723 370 541
ON SALE SOON

Crucible Studio, Sheffield
15 - 19 November
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Box Office: 0114 249 6000

The Tobacco Factory, Bristol
25 - 26 November
www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com
Box Office: 0117 902 0344

The Door, Birmingham Rep
29 November - 3 December
www.birmingham-rep.co.uk
Box Office: 0121 236 4455

Paines Plough is the UK's national theatre of new plays. The company commissions and produces the best playwrights and tours their plays far and wide. Whether you're in Liverpool or Lyme Regis, Scarborough or Southampton, a Paines Plough show is coming to a theatre near you soon.

Paines Plough was formed in 1974 over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub. Since then they've produced more than 130 new productions by world renowned playwrights like Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Dennis Kelly and Mike Bartlett.

The Programme in 2015 saw 12 productions by the nation's finest writers touring to 84 places from Cornwall to the Orkney Islands; in village halls and Off-Broadway, at music festivals and student unions, online and on radio, and in their own pop-up theatre Roundabout. For more, visit www.painesplough.com or find them on Twitter: @PainesPlough and Facebook www.facebook.com/painesploughHQ.

Live Theatre is recognised as one of the great new writing theatres on the international stage. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne it is deeply rooted in its local community and produces work as varied and diverse as the audiences it engages with.

As well as championing the art of writing for stage by producing and presenting new plays, Live Theatre uses theatre to unlock the potential of young people and finds, nurtures and trains creative talent.

The theatre is a beautifully restored and refurbished complex of five Grade II listed buildings with state-of-the-art facilities in a unique historical setting including both cabaret style theatre and Studio Theatres. In 2016 Live Garden, an outdoor performance space, and Live Tales, a centre for children and young people's creative story writing, were added.

Founded in 1973, Live Theatre is a national leader in developing new strategies for increasing income and assets for the charity. To sustain and extend its artistic programme it has diversified its income streams to include Live Works, the purchase and development of commercial property for rental income; an award winning gastro pub The Broad Chare; The Schoolhouse a hub for creative businesses, and on-line interactive playwriting course www.beaplaywright.com.

Live Theatre is grateful for the support of Arts Council England and the Newcastle Culture Investment Fund through the Community Foundation, and its many other friends and supporters. For more information visit www.live.org.uk.

Photo Credit: Matt Humphrey

To post a comment, you must register and login.