‘This house isn’t unfit for habitation. We’re inhabiting it. It’s been habitated for 100 years!’

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1951 saw a third of County Durham’s villages classified as ‘D’. They were no longer deemed worthy of investment and were expected to die quietly. But they wouldn’t.

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A Way Home is a new play rooted in the stories and memories of the very people who called those D villages home. A County-wide fight lasting over 25 years becomes a 12-month journey at Bet’s kitchen table as she confronts what loss really looks like.
 

With humour, tenderness and not a small amount of grit, A Way Home speaks of fighting to be heard when no one’s listening, telling a story just as significant today as it was 70 years ago.

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Performed by: 

Jacqueline Phillips, Jackie Lye, Jude Nelson, Lawrence Neale, David Raynor, Luke Maddison

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Creative Team:

Direction by JonLuke McKie

Design by Alison Ashton

Composer Roma Yagnik

Lighting Design Simon Cole

Sound Design Rachel Glover

Stage & Production Manager Andrea Scrimshaw

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Tour Dates & Venues

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Tuesday 7 June 7.30pm Gala Theatre

Wednesday 8 June 7.30pm The Witham

Thursday 9 June 7.30pm Arts Centre Washington

Friday 10 June 7pm Clara Vale Village Hall

Saturday 11 June 2pm & 7pm Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens

Monday 13 June 7pm St Mark’s Church

Tuesday 14 June  2pm & 7.30pm Alnwick Playhouse

Wednesday 15 June 7pm Trimdon Grange Community Association

Thursday 16 June 7.30pm Binchester Community Centre

Friday 17 June 7pm Hamsteels Community Centre

Saturday18 June 3pm St. John’s Hall Meadowfield

Monday 20 June 7pm Toft Hill Community Centre

Tuesday 21 June 7pm Hamsterley & Low Westwood Community Hall

Wednesday 22 June 7.30pm Queen’s Hall Arts Centre

Thursday 23 June 2:30pm & 7.30pm Live Theatre

Friday 24 June 7.30pm Live Theatre

Saturday 25 June 7pm Coundon & Leeholme Community Centre

Sunday 26 June 7pm Witton Park Village Hall

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The Covid-19 pandemic meant that, like so many other projects, A Way Home was put on hold. After a long two year wait, we are thrilled to be sharing the show with you at last. A huge thank you for your patience and to our funders (Arts Council England, Sunday for Sammy, Catherine Cookson Trust and Newcastle University) for their support. 

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Production shots by Matt Jamie.