Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood

The rights to perform Dirty Dusting are now available to amateur groups worldwide.

The play, which premiered at the Customs House in South Shields in 2003 and has toured constantly since then is about three pensioners who set up a telephone sex line after they get made redundant from their cleaning job.

Originally starring north east actors Helen Russell, Jean Southern and Gwen Doran as the trio of “Dirty Dusters” and Dave Whittaker as their bullying boss, the show has been one of the most successful plays to have emerged in the region since the war.

It has had more than 15 professional productions and had full tours of England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It has had two separate runs at a packed Theatre Royal in Newcastle and four sell-out runs at the 440-seat Customs House.

Trevor Wood  said: “We’ve had some fantastic times with this play:  A month’s run at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin where 30,000 people attended, a three-week run at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow which attracted 20,000 people – not forgetting to mention watching the original cast knock them dead at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle – twice!”

“Barely a week has gone by in the last eight years that we haven’t been contacted directly or via our website by someone wanting to stage the show. Now’s their chance!”

David Bownes, General Manager of Qdos Entertainment (Pantomimes) Ltd, is now overseeing Dirty Dusting’s national and international drive.

David, whose other projects include the international hit Stones In His Pockets said: “An advert for Dirty Dusting performing rights was placed in The Stage on Thursday and we immediately received nine requests from all over the world. I’m currently discussing with groups from the UK, USA, Spain, South Africa and there’s even been an enquiry from South Korea.”

Any groups interested in performing Dirty Dusting should contact David by email davidbownes3@gmail.com or telephone 07778 338009