South Shields (and Ed)  feature in a top Swiss television programme on Wednesday. The five-minute slot on Kultureplatz, a culture magazine programme on the channel Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF), was recorded this week in response to the recent release of the film The Iron Lady.

Reporter Richard Herold read an article about the play Maggie’s End in The Guardian and contacted Ed through this website.  Ed explained: “Richard asked if he could come over to South Shields to interview us about the play. I got Davey Hopper from the National Union of Mineworkers involved and we showed them around the devastation Thatcherism and the Tories had caused to the borough – places where shipyards and mines once employed thousands of people as well as long-gone former workplaces that were secondary industries.

“It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. Richard was taken by the friendliness of the people he met when we took him to the beach and to the river and he was so impressed he’s seriously considering coming back for a holiday!

“Sadly, the official Tories couldn’t send anyone – despite being asked – along to debate with me but we managed to rope in a Thatcherite when we were filming in the Maltings pub, where the beer Maggie’s End is sold.”

Or that we would end up watching one of Ed’s oldest friends morris-dancing across the stage of the City Hall in Newcastle in front of 2,000 people.

Those two small snapshots illustrate the slightly insane nature of  the Sunday for Sammy charity event, funny, chaotic, a bit haphazard and completely unpredictable.

This was our first involvement in the event that raises hundreds of thousands of pounds to support young North East performers and it was an absolute hoot. We were asked to write a sketch for Denise Welch and Angela Lonsdale earlier last year and were delighted when our Community Service sketch was accepted for the show.  We were eagerly looking forward to rehearsals when, at the last minute, a gap appeared in the show and Ray Laidlaw, Lindisfarne legend, and one of the prime movers behind the charity, asked if we could help to fill it.  No pressure there then.

Somehow, three days later, we were sitting in the stalls at the City Hall watching a succession of stars play cameo roles in our hastily pulled together Speed Dating sketch. With the lovely Emmerdale star Charlie Hardwick leading the way we watched in awe as, in order of appearance, Brendan Healy, Pam Royle, Kevin Whately, Pete Peverley (twice), Les Robson, Ray Laidlaw, Chris Chittel, Billy Mitchell, Tim Healy, Ray Stubbs, and Chris Fairbanks all came on stage to pursue Charlie’s hand. We may have missed Brendan’s name out a few times there as he’s not a man who’s shy about reappearing at various unscheduled moments.

Quite how we got to that moment is still a bit of a mystery but it could only have been done with everyone pulling in the same direction and the commitment and ‘up for anything’ attitude of all the above and the show’s director Geoff Wonfor were major factors. The other major factor was our morris-dancing friend. The night before rehearsals we were told that we couldn’t have a morris dancer in the show as we had neither a spare man nor a costume. Several phone calls later a member of Hexham Morrismen had been tracked down and at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning a costume was duly delivered to the City Hall (thanks John!).  Now all we needed was a volunteer to wear it. Enter Les Robson, Ed’s oldest friend. Lured to the City Hall under slightly false pretences, having no idea that the show was on the next day and then finding out that the  costume was several sizes too big for him, Les threw himself into the role with some gusto and may well have stolen the show as you will be able to see when the video comes out. For now you can make do with this Sky News clip which captures the backstage ‘all-hands-to-the-pump’ vibe. Les is caught chatting to his new best friend Charlie Hardwick soon after the start (though sadly not in costume).

We’d really like to thank everyone involved for making it such a great laugh, Denise, Angela and Chelsea Halfpenny smashed the Community Service sketch – Denise was in great form all weekend especially given the media nonsense she’s had to put up with recently – and the Speed Dating went down a storm as noted in the reviews in the Journal and Chronicle.

Incidentally, for those who are interested in such things, Pam Royle opted for ‘willy’ at the matinee and ‘knob’ at the evening show.

The sold-out shows on February 12 are one of the highlights of the Geordie calendar and though the nature of the sketch and the performers involved is a closely guarded secret, Ed promises that it will be a hoot:

“I can’t wait to see it myself. We haven’t written a sketch before but when Ray Laidlaw asked us if we’d like to get involved we jumped at the chance. It’s a real honour to be a small part of such a great team and to contribute to a fantastic cause. The Memorial fund helped us when we were just starting out and it’s great to get the chance to give something back,” he explained.

The bi-annual entertainment extravaganza, held to raise money for the Sunday for Sammy Trust in memory of the late actor Sammy Johnson, will take place on February 12 2012.  A star-studded line-up of famous faces – and at least one surprise guest – will take part in the show – the proceeds of which will be used to support rising upcoming new talent in the region.Sunday for Sammy stalwarts include Benidorm star Tim Healy and Lindisfarne drummer Ray Laidlaw, who produces the show.

Tim, who is Chairman of the Trust, said: “Sunday for Sammy has become one of the highlights of my professional life and I’m really looking forward to the next show which will be our seventh.

“The 2010 gig was tremendous and we’re going to have to pull out all the stops to top it.  As usual, we won’t be revealing any names before the show but I can guarantee a brilliant cast and some great surprises. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Past participants in the show include Loose Women star Denise Welch, Brian Johnson of AC/DC and actors Kevin Whately, Jimmy Nail and Timothy Spall, who all co-starred with Tim in hit TV drama Auf Wiedersehen Pet.

To add to the glittering line-up, organisers wow the audience at each event with a mystery, big-name guest with Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler topping the bill in 2010.

Unknown performers looking for their big break are currently auditioning for the Trust in the hope of winning a grant to help with the cost of training.

Grants are awarded by the Trust twice a year and, since the Trust, formerly the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund, was established there have been more than 180 recipients and almost £500,000 has been raised to support talented North East performers.

The Trust was founded following the death in 1988 of Sammy – real name Ronnie – Johnson, an actor who had worked alongside many of today’s famous faces on dramas like Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Catherine Cookson’s The Gambling Man.

Ray Laidlaw said: “Sammy was a great bloke and he’d be thrilled that these concerts in his memory have become such a North East institution. They are a logistical nightmare to organise but, without a doubt, my favourite gig of the year.”

He will be on a panel debating Margaret Thatcher’s contribution to society, chaired by Nicky Campbell.

As the co-author of Maggie’s End, which began with the death of the former Prime Minister, Ed has some fairly firm views on her ‘contribution’ which should make for combustible viewing – especially if he is sitting next to the inevitable Tory apologist. Sparks will undoubtedly fly.

Obviously the debate has been sparked by the opening of the new film The Iron Lady in which the milk snatcher and pit closer is portrayed by Meryl Streep.

The really big question is: Will Ed reveal his lifelong crush on Meryl Streep? (which was admittedly damaged by Mamma Mia)

Round 3 of Waugh v Thatcher will take place when Ed reviews The Iron Lady for the Shields Gazette which we will post here as soon as it’s done.

Alas, for those based in the Milecastles, situated every mile along the great wall, life is less exciting. No great luxuries are to be had here, especially at Milecastle 17 – Drizzlewort.

Built mainly from turf, Drizzlewort houses just seven men and a servant. With only a cold stream for bathing and a hole in the ground for a toilet, the inhabitants exist on a diet of beans, lentils and the occasional bits of pork. Worst of all for lads used to sunnier climes, is the weather; it rarely stops raining, unless, of course, it’s snowing. Oh yes, it’s grim up north!

Widely considered to be the worst posting of all for those Romans soldiers unfortunate enough to be serving the Empire in Britain, life in Drizzlewort not only consists of building the wall but also manning the gate, which acts as a customs post and access point for local traders, and where sentry duty mostly involves keeping out the deadly, if hard-to-pin-down Picts

The soldiers posted to Drizzlewort never stop complaining, and are generally the lowest of the low, most of whom would desert given half a chance. However, every cloud has a silver lining and, given the place’s strategic importance and isolation, there are always good business opportunities for people who can manipulate the system…

It’s Grim Up North is being developed as a radio sitcom. A pilot episode was recorded at Sunderland University directed by Jackie Fielding and starring Dale Meeks, Dean Logan, Gary Kitching, Mat Hobbins, Jackie Fielding and Karen Traynor.  It has since been commissioned by BBC Radio Cumbria as a five part comedy serial and re-recorded at the BBC Studios in Newcastle with the same cast plus Chris Connel. A broadcast date will be announced shortly. You can listen to the original full pilot episode here.

The jury’s still out on why Hadrian had the wall built. It was generally a time of peace in the Empire, so it’s not ruled out that “old warty face” just wanted to keep the lads of his legions busy and out of trouble.

Unfortunately for him, where the men of the milecastle at Drizzlewort are concerned, he failed miserably. They quickly identify the opportunities to make a few dinera trading with the locals and creating a black market – it’s amazing how stones meant for the wall find their way to the construction of villas for the Pict chiefs!

Of course, the auxiliaries always have to be aware of the activities of the local revolutionaries – the Boadecia Resistance Army (BRA) – but a few spears to help their insurrectionary cause greases the wheels of trade.

Building the wall is a chance for these plucky soldiers from Britain, Italy, Algeria and other far-flung corners of the empire to broaden their horizons and sample a new culture. The only problem is they are stationed in a ramshackle milecastle where it rains incessantly and the food is rubbish, hence their common refrain, “it’s grim up north”.

We’d like to thank Jackie Fielding who directed and starred in the pilot episode and the other brilliant actors involved for giving up their time to record the show. Take a bow Dale Meeks, Dean Logan, Gary Kitching, Mat Hobbins and Karen Traynor. We love you all. No really.

We’d also like to thank John Scott for helping Trevor with the post-production work.

The idea was developed in conjunction with the Customs House which, despite being hamstrung by the Arts Council cuts, is finding new ways to continue its role as the champion of new writing in the North East. To this end they are working with other partners and we are grateful to Sunderland University for their support on this particular project. We’d particularly like to thank Lesley Younger for helping to set this up; Fred Marden for letting us use the brilliant facilities in the radio unit there and Grant Lowery and Craig Oliphant for guiding us through any technical difficulties.

You can listen to the full pilot episode of It’s Grim Up North here. If you like the show, feel free to pass the link around, put it on your website or twitter or Facebook or whatever else it is you kids do today. If you’re our age then just tell your mates. If you don’t like it keep schtum or we’ll send the boys round. And we mean that literally, have you seen Ed’s boys?

Ed would like to say that the title of ‘It’s Grim Up North’ does not reflect the writers’ true views of the area. It’s actually totally lush -  a fantastic area with wonderful countryside and national parks, stunning coastal stretches and castles, award-winning architecture and internationally acclaimed World Heritage sites as described at http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/ . (Will that do mate, I’m starting to doze off?).

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 bright38@ntlworld.com or telephone 07778 338009

Having been brought up with the story of Grace Darling (me in Newcastle and Trevor in Leicester), the epic tale of this working class heroine from Northumberland has always been one of my favourite stories.

A few years ago I mentioned my fixation on Grace Darling to Trev and he revealed a similar interest. It was an amazing co-incidence and we knew we had to do something to pay tribute to her.

My notes show we started outlining work in July 2010. Prior to that we read anything we could get our hands on about Grace: books, plays, correspondence supplied by the Duke of Northumberland’s estate; old television programmes, articles and information on the internet, where Grace Darling has 22 million entries (Queen Victoria – an empress – has 23 million).

So what is so special about Grace Darling?

Born in Bamburgh, Northumberland, on November 24, 1815, she was the seventh of nine children and lived with her parents on Longstone lighthouse on the Farne Islands (or “Fern” Islands as they are colloquially referred to and spelled on older maps).

On September 7, 1838, aged 22, Grace and her father, William, selflessly rescued nine people shipwrecked on the notorious Harcar Rock. As a result of her bravery, Grace became the first woman to be awarded an RNLI Gallantry Medal and was catapulted into national and international stardom.

Overnight she became the first Victorian heroine. Patronised by London’s press, royalty and the aristocracy, her image was everywhere (on soap, annuals, chocolates etc) while plays, poems and songs were written about her. She died in 1842, aged 26, of TB – four years after the historical rescue.

Lots of tosh has been written about Grace in order to embellish the dramatic aspect of her personal story. The truth is, three months after the rescue she responded to the pressure of fame by becoming a recluse in the lighthouse, where her social position was to do domestic work for her mother and father. She died having never encountered romance.

We wanted to contrast today’s short-lived celebrity with a real celebrity but without resorting to using an X Factor type show or reality TV, all of which have been done to death.

But how could we tell the story of Grace, whose total existence was played out within Northumberland, having probably never travelled further than Berwick in the north and Alnwick to the south?

From a strict Christian background, there was no romantic attachment in her life and, unless we turned the large family into a singing troupe fleeing from marauding Scots or got birds and sea animals to help her make beds and wash dishes, there wasn’t much drama other than the heroic rescue itself.

The framework we decided on was to base it in the present on the set of a film being made about Grace Darling. This allowed us to include film as a backdrop and we’ve produced a script that is something completely different from our previous work. Of course, it will still be a very funny play but we have managed to stay true to the story of Grace Darling in an entertaining and dramatic way.

Research included a trip to Longstone lighthouse and numerous visits to the picturesque Bamburgh with its magnificent village, castle, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants (sometimes I question why I’m a writer, life is so tough).

We were also kindly invited to the RNLI Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh to read a rare book by Grace’s older sister Thomasin who, sick of all the rubbish written about Grace detailed the true story of her sister in 1880. Holding the book, Grace Darling: Her True Story, felt like a direct link with the past.

What I particularly liked from the book was Grace’s response to the Duke of Northumberland when he enquired about her attitude to marriage. Her retort was “I have not got married yet for they say the man is master and there is much talk about bad masters” and that she intended to keep her own name: “…any husband should take it. It is a name of which my sons will be proud”.

This, from a woman in Victorian times whose social role was to be subservient and to know her place. Until the Conveyancing Act of 1881 married women (unmarried women weren’t considered worthy of inclusion) had no legal control of their finances or property – that was a man’s job! There was also a class issue involved. Given her national fame and the vast amounts of money being sent as gifts from well wishers, the Duke of Northumberland (as opposed to her father) became her patron, dealing with her finances and shielding her from many unsuitable marriage proposals.

At one point,  more than £1,000 had been sent to Grace from people all over the UK. Donations of £5 and £10 were common place from middle-class well-wishers while working people donated smaller amounts of their hard-earned money. The Duke, the wealthiest man in Northumberland, generously donated £1 (one pound) and invited Grace and her father to tea at Alnwick Castle – with the servants! Grace never touched a penny of the money.

To his credit, the Duke of Northumberland did go on to initiate the modern Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in 1854 (it was established as a charity in 1824 but less efficient), so there is a strong possibility that Grace acted as a catalyst for what is today the selfless charity that saves many thousands lives a year off UK coastlines.

I was amazed to learn that the Grace Darling Museum last year received more than 30,000 visitors, such is her lasting popularity. She is buried in the grounds of the beautiful St. Aidan’s Church (opposite the museum) and a stunning cenotaph celebrates her life.

There are lasting tributes to Grace throughout the UK and the world. Many countries have sea rescue heroines who are regarded as their own “Grace Darling” and her heroic act is part of the UK national curriculum. The 5’3” unassuming north eastern lass is featured on a stained glass window in Liverpool Cathedral, there’s a blue plaque to her in Hull (where the doomed SS Forfarshire sailed from), a tree has been planted for her in Battersea Park, London, an RNLI rescue boat in Seahouses, Northumberland, bears her name, while a 19^th century painting by William Bell Scott at Wallington Hall,  Northumberland, depicts her rescue. There is even a monument to her in St Thomas Church in Exeter, Devon (more than 300 miles from her lighthouse home) and a pub is named after her in Melbourne, Australia.

October 20, 2012, marks the 170^th anniversary of Grace’s death but her bravery, fortitude and memory will live forever. Amazing Grace is our humble contribution to that incredible heritage.

The reviewer from www.extraextra.org called it “an entertaining, dramatic production with some genuine chemistry and comic moments.”

With a terrific cast of Simon Nader, Sally Gilfillan and Jon Bradshaw it really is the show to catch off West End – you can read the full review here

The current run, at the Barons Court Theatre in the Curtains Up pub in West Kensington, continues until Saturday 21st May. Tickets are selling swiftly and only a handful remain for the later dates so don’t delay!

Tickets are on sale, £12.50 full price, £10 concessions, from the theatre box office on 020 8932 4747

Very few events beat the excitement, nervousness and expectation of an opening night.

More than 1200 people saw The Revengers over four days at the Customs House and The Tribune newspaper called the Chesterfield production “an example of great theatre”, but no matter how confident we are that The Revengers will rock in the capital, opening nights are always an adrenaline pumping time, hoping the actors remember their lines and that people get our sense of humour.

It’s a familiar sensation because we’ve had eight full plays produced since Good To Firm premiered at the Customs House in June 2002 but we take nothing for granted.

Fortunately all of our plays (except our most recent, Photo Finish for obvious reasons) have gone on to have at least one other production either locally, nationally or internationally and we have attended premieres in New Zealand, Ireland and the UK but we are particularly excited about returning to London following Maggie’s End in May 2009.

Maggie’s End (in which we killed off Margaret Thatcher) was the official focal point of the 25^th anniversary of the miners strike and played for two weeks at the 500-seat “off-West End” Shaw Theatre in Kings Cross, London. The show was seen by 2,000 people and went down a storm. We had a great time. Among the cast was the brilliant Sunderland lass Melanie Hill as well as The Bill and Eastenders stars Mark Wingett and Russell Floyd, all of which we’ve gone on to further work with.

One of the cast of Maggie’s End was Simon Nader, whom we admired as an actor and, like the aforementioned, established a friendship with. Last year, over a pint, we were telling Simon about The Revengers, which features a washed up former all-action television star whose marriage is on the rocks and whose life is turned upside down when a sinister but charming loan shark enters her life.

The Revengers, like Maggie’s End and our, as yet, unpremiered play God Only Knows (which is about teaching creationism in science in state schools), is markedly different from our out-and-out comedies (Dirty Dusting, Waiting For Gateaux, Good To Firm etc).

While still funny in places, The Revengers is darker and we wrote it as a three hander (three characters) so that it could be played in small venues to a more intimate audience.

When Simon read the script he really liked it. He wanted to play the loan shark and asked if he could direct the show at his local venue, which is the Barons Court theatre. It’s a cracking venue, below a real ale pub and the intimacy of the place will suit the piece perfectly. How could we refuse!

We’ve gone into the run with more than 300 tickets sold (which, we are told, for a London fringe venue is excellent pre sales), so we are confident that, after opening night, word of mouth and the reviews will kick in and The Revengers will quickly be playing to full houses.

It’s also noticeable how much easier it is in London to access the media and theatre’s movers and shakers. Unless you are a predominantly state subsidised theatre in the north east, the London-centric media don’t want to know. It’s crass really and reflects how out of touch many of these influential people are with grass roots theatre.

Our shows play to packed houses at the 440-seat Customs House and the 500-seat Gala theatre in Durham and Newcastle’s 1200-seat Theatre Royal and yet we can’t get theatre reviewers from the capital to travel three hours by train to see our work. However, they happily turn up to theatres in London that hold fewer than 100 people (and are normally less than half full). The idea that plays in London are somehow better than in the provinces is a complete misnomer.

It used to annoy me. It doesn’t now.  I read their glowing reviews of some dreadful national touring plays I’ve seen in the region and realise we have little in common when it comes to theatre. Hence the reason Trevor and I started writing back in 2002.

The Revengers is being funded by a profit share, which means the cast and technical staff only get paid once its outlay has been covered. Thankfully it’s already into profit, which bodes well for a future tour. Only one in ten London shows turn in a profit which is why so many theatres and theatre companies are dependent on state subsidies.

There’s something inside me that says it’s important to subsidise some theatres and theatre companies but there’s also something else that nags away: why should the taxpayer have to subsidise the middle classes to indulge in Shakespeare and other “classic” revivals while new, more innovative, writing is reduced to a minimum? Surely if these ancient plays were good enough they would appeal to people anyway! What I do know is that equal subsidies (or no state handouts at all) would revolutionise theatre and force producers to make the subject matter of plays more relevant to the lives of ordinary working people, most of whom only attend the theatre to see pantomimes or musicals.

Either way, we are always grateful first and foremost to everyone who buys tickets for our shows with their hard-earned money.

Theatre is a fantastic experience and we are proud that so many people come along to see our plays.  For as long as people want to see our work Trevor and I will keep writing. I just hope I can say that after The Revengers’ London jaunt.

The Revengers opens at the London fringe venue Barons Court theatre in West Kensington, on Monday, May 9, and runs until Saturday, May 21. Click here for further details.