24:7 play Heads for West End: We told you so

Back in the early days of the WOS North West website we championed a new play at the 2009 24:7 Festival. As We Forgive Them, written by Richard Vergette, managed the rare feat of combining social commentary with an engrossing and completely satisfying mystery narrative.

Just to prove how right we were (oh alright, how talented Vergette is) the play has now been expanded and its longer running time allows more characters and deeper intrigue. Under the new (and to be honest not as good as the original) title American Justice the play is  being produced by Playground Studios and stars Ryan Gage (The Hobbit), David Schaal (Jay’s Dad in The Inbetweeners) and Peter Tate (National Theatre etc.).

The bad news is the new version isn’t opening in the region but in The Arts Theatre in London  from 10 January to 9 February 2013. But even this has a silver lining proving that, contrary to the belief of producers reluctant to tour anything other than bland musicals, there is a real appetite for quality drama north of Watford.   

Richard Vergette, and other up and coming writers in the region, works in the spirit of the old punk rock ethic – ‘do it yourself’. Even if producers are unwilling to tour drama the North West is capable of providing its own works that are of national quality. Hopefully American Justice will prove this point. So: no pressure then.   

– Dave Cunningham