Sat 6 March to Sat 13 March 1993

8 performances
Hampton Court Theatre, United Kingdom

Ideas for plays are begot in odd places. Sitting over a pub lunch with my friend Eric Yardley, he was talking about the difficulties he has in choosing places with twenty or more parts for his YAT shows. I think he said something like, "You couldn't write us a play?", at which point I must have laughed. Maybe to change the subject I said, "I'll think about it", perhaps hoping he wouldn't mention it again and spoil our lunch. We took a stroll in Bushy Park and, even though I pushed them to the back of my mind, ideas and stories began to swim in my head. I came home and tried hard to continue with a particularly stubborn episode of a North-Country soap which I write from time to time - the reason I'd gone out to lunch was to try and get inspiration - what sort of dialogue do you write for two actors and a herd of cows in the middle of a field in February?

A dear friend of mine rang at that moment - had I read her new novel a copy of which she'd kindly sent to me - no I hadn't - I hadn't had time - "I'm up to my ears in a new play", I lied to make her feel better. She hung up. I returned to typewriter knowing I would not finish the telly script that day - I had the dreaded writers' block. I put a clean piece of paper into my machine, typed the title "Home Before Dark" for no other reason than that I liked the sound of it and by eleven o'clock that night I'd written several scenes of the first act. Don't ask me how or why that happens - don't ask any writer why these things happen - they just do! All I can say is that I'm grateful to Eric and to YAT for releasing something which had obviously been simmering away in the dark recesses of my brain waiting to be put down on paper and then brought to life by this exceptionally talented company of young actors.

No, the play is not about me at all - but it is about people I knew and loved all those years ago in Oldham and District...people who although on the surface appeared to have very little were always happy, always laughing - people from whom I learned so much about the simple art of living. I did eventually finish the soap script but as yet I haven't read my friend's novel - perhaps tomorrow.

Jimmie Chinn - March 1993

Home Before Dark - The Saga of Miss Edie Hill

by Jimmie Chinn