"The best and the most successful festival yet," was how Sarah Mallett, marketing manager for the Warehouse Theatre, described the 16th International Playwriting Festival 2001, held at the Dingwall Road venue over Saturday and Sunday writes Christine van Emst.

Sarah continued: "The festival weekend went very well, we had full houses and the audiences enjoyed all the plays. Even in its 16th year it remains innovative."

On Saturday one of the selected plays was Glory Days, by Coulsdon resident Amelia Morrey.

At the festival we had three scenes to taste. Not the first one, and the three did not run on. Yet with a fine cast, these snaps of Glory Days whetted the appetite for more.

It is a modern play with an edge of black humour and a topical subject in drugs.

Some familiar faces took the stage to read the scenes. Alex was read by Tim Downie who has been in television's Hollyoaks and The Bill, and soon to be seen in Judge John Deed.

Clare Wilkie was an EastEnder for a long run as the feckless Sandra DiMarco, and she gave a good insight into her part as Iris a nurse.

Drug dealer Rory was read by JD Kelleher and McGDuggan by Fraser Cains. Marcia Hewitt was Angelica.

The plot centres on three people after the death Lucy who overdosed on drugs. Iris and Alex, boyfriend of the dead girl, share a home. Rory supplied the drugs that killed Lucy.

Somehow Rory wheedles his way into staying with Iris and Alex , but they insist it is for just one week only.

What ghosts are in Rory's past, his fear of the real world and his need for drugs, any drugs even the green cold remedy from the bathroom cabinet, to block out his demons.

Hints of an unsavoury episode with a priest are alluded to, but we didn't get the answers on Saturday.

Angelica is a cheery go-between, and sets up a poker game that Rory must play to keep drugs' baron McDuggan sweet.

The stakes are high and the game played involves more than just cards and money. Who are the winners? Who are the losers?

The quick fire dialogue lurching between humour and anguish makes this a very intriguing play. We saw a little of how it was going, but were left wanting to know the end result.

I had begun to care about the characters in just these three short scenes.

Glorious work Ms Morrey!

November 28, 2001 16:30