Last updated at 22:05, Thursday, 30 June 2011

A Brigham actress’s first play will have its debut in Cockermouth before it moves to Manchester for a six-night run.

Brigham actor Emma Rydal has written a play called True, which is being directed by Workington actor David MacCreedy

Emma Rydal, 41, of West Croft, has starred in hit film East Is East and Coronation Street and more recently ran drama classes for youngsters in West Cumbria.

She wrote True, about mother and daughter relationships, after she found a diary she had kept when she was 10.

The mother-of-two said: “I was inspired to write the play after becoming a mother and all the wonderful emotions I felt.

“The play is also based on my own relationship with my mother, and when my father died a few years ago writing it gave me an outlet to get over that grief and deal with those emotions.

“Finding the diary and reading it back made me realise how difficult it was being a youngster growing up but also how difficult it was being a parent.”

True, a series of five monologues, will star Emma and Roberta Kerr and is directed by Workington actor David MacCreedy.

David, 42, who has recently appeared in TV series Inspector George Gently with Martin Shaw and BBC comedy Two Pints of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, is probably best known for his role in the BBC series Preston Front and films Up and Under and Kinky Boots.

True will be performed at Cockermouth’s Kirkgate Centre on Tuesday, July 19, before it moves to Manchester.

Emma entered the play into the 24:7 Theatre Festival in Manchester. It was one of 13 plays chosen and it will be performed from Sunday, July 24, to Friday, July 29.

David, also a performance arts tutor at the University of Salford, said: “We first rehearsed the play with Maxine Peake (best known as Veronica in Shameless) and Brigit Forsyth (Thelma in the Likely Lads) in a pub in Manchester in April and Emma got some brilliant feedback.”

Emma and David are appealing for anyone who could loan them a rehearsal room or a van for the Manchester performance.

Email blondieemma@bt internet.com

l Tickets for True, at the Kirkgate Centre on July 19, are available from Billy Bowman’s music shop in Lowther Went, Cockermouth, or the Kirkgate on 01900 826448.

First published at 19:22, Thursday, 30 June 2011
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk