From Ed Waugh

I worked with Dave Harker who kindly allowed me to use his incredible research for my play The Great Joe Wilson. Many of you came to see the show (and Mr Corvan’s Music Hall, based on Dave’s excellent book about Ned Corvan) so you may be interested in Geordie Plays (Volume One).

The book comprising Hadaway Harry, The Great Joe Wilson and Carrying David is out now and was recently included in a small time capsule buried by Newcastle Cathedral. It won’t be opened until June 2121, which will mean these fantastic stories of forgotten Geordie heroes will be available for future generations. I doubt I’ll be around to see that, though.

If you want to attend the official book launch in October (Saturday 16) at Newcastle City Library there will be two talks. One at 2pm which will be an illustrated talk and costs nothing. The second will take place at 7pm and will include songs and entertainment from the cast. A show! Tickets for this performance will be £3.

Obviously, this is subject to what happens with the pandemic and could change but we are very confident the talks will go ahead on that date. If you let me know how many tickets you need and the time (2pm or 7pm, or both) I’ll pass your email on to Derek Tree from Tyne Bridge Publishing so you are guaranteed a ticket(s).

Carrying David is touring the North East in September and Hadaway Harry next June. Both are going to London.

https://www.wisecrackproductions.co.uk/carrying-david

 https://www.hadawayharry.co.uk/tour-dates

You may also be interested in two new plays – Wor Bella and Howay The Lasses. Both deal with munitionette footballers in World War One. Hundreds of women’s football teams were formed nationally (many dozens in the North East) and raised money for charity. Matches attracted hundreds, even thousands, of spectators, including 20,000 at St James’ Park Newcastle in 1918 for the Munitionettes Cup final and 23,000 at Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, for the replay.

The story of these brave and selfless working class women (munitionettes) who saved the war effort in WW1 is incredible and intriguing – a story that has been largely ignored, especially by the educational establishment.

Howay the Lasses is a Durham Gala production and a generic story, based on actual events locally and nationally.

https://galadurham.co.uk/galapost/howay-the-lasses

Wor Bella is a Wisecrack production about Bella Reay, the star of Blyth Spartans Ladies who scored 133 goals in 30 matches and is known as “the Alan Shearer of her day”.

www.worbella.co.uk

Both shows will rock!

Ed

https://www.wisecrackproductions.co.uk/

The book can be bought from the Tyne Bridge Publishing websitehttps://www.newcastle.gov.uk/www.tynebridgepublishing.org.uk and online at Waterstones, Blackwell’s, WH Smiths, Amazon, Wordery and Foyles.

It is available in shops: Waterstones, Meander, The Baltic and Newcastle City Library (soon).

Other shops and museum shops around the region will be supplied by Northern Heritage, a book distributor.