

The title of the play has a double meaning – the main character emerging from a period of grief for his wife, stepping back into his world of work, and secondly, the happier memories of yesteryear, which he is reflecting upon. Although the main character is experiencing the very early stages of dementia, I have deliberately only touched on his illness, as it is not the main theme of the play. I was inspired to write the play after having enjoyed chatting with Colin George, the late classical actor and founding artistic director of the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield - a charming man whom I regularly served as a customer in my day job, although it is not based on him.
My aim was to write an entertaining play with a minimal amount of conflict, which also reminds us that kindness prevails. It has much gentle humour throughout with some laugh out loud dialogue, plus I very kindly have two 'endorsements', one from comedy legend Barry Cryer and the other from comic actor Jeffrey Holland (see below). The characters feel very real to me, and I believe that their stories resonate with an audience. I enjoyed writing the interplay between the characters, especially in the first, penultimate and final scenes, where the humour is cranked up a notch or two. The play may be more suited to a smaller stage, by benefiting from an intimate setting, to enable the audience to be closer and more involved.
Fee: £45.00 per performance. Digital script: Available to read without charge (plus a videoed staged rehearsed reading for reference purposes if performing).
‘I enjoyed it enormously. It has humour and a great deal of poignancy and enormous depth of human feeling. Congratulations on a very fine piece of work.’ Jeffrey Holland
‘Blast from the Past is an excellent, emotional and very funny play. The first point I want to make is that it will definitely resonate with an older audience. Really hits many of the marks when it comes to the elderly such as struggles with forgetfulness, grown children, the question of entering nursing homes, lost loves and friends. Secondly, the humour is brilliant and paced nicely. Finally, there are several strong emotional scenes that deal with these senior issues. The play ends nicely on an upbeat note and I know audiences will love it!’ Robert Caston, New Play Exchange
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The actors who played the two brothers were superb. I was totally immersed in the characters of Tim and Eddie and their stories, expressing themselves in natural dialogue that recalled the typical everyday conversations that are familiar to us. Their easy rapport, good humour, and sharing of nostalgic memories, some of which were quite rueful, created very credible characters. The actor brother Tim, living on his own had a particular touch of poignancy, lightened by his new friendship with the charming young resident of the nearby flat. The dialogue reflecting the contrast between the two sisters, clearly painted their characters and threw a spotlight on well meaning adult children who can undermine their elderly parents. As for the audition scene – what fun!’ Flavia McCarney

‘I found the play immensely entertaining and enjoyable and it would make a great stage play. Each character came through in their own unique way e.g. the ditzy nurse! I found the dialogue between them all very natural and believable, reflecting the many different emotions – affection, worry, resentment, rivalry, annoyance, etc, that were at play because of the underlying secrets. The humour lifted the atmosphere so it was never dispiriting, and I particularly liked how you paced the tension stemming from each person’s concealment, and I had no real inkling as to what would eventually emerge.’ Flavia McCarney

It is possible for this play and Stage Door Blues to be performed by the same three actors, which
would require (all approximate ages) a 50 year old man - playing mid 50s and early 60s, a 40 year
old women - playing mid 50s and mid 30s, and a 70 year old man - playing mid 60s and late 70s,
which should provide an enjoyable challenge and opportunity to create two contrasting characters
each, which I think an audience will find interesting.
‘The two contrasting characters are very engaging and interact well in a situation that is personally challenging for them both. I am always intrigued by the stage directions and sound effects that are a necessary element of play writing and you created such clear scenes, I could easily imagine myself on that cliff edge with Cliff and Fleur! You have a gift for natural dialogue and the ebb and flow of the conversation between them is effortless. It is also amusing at various points and very cleverly incorporates present day topics such as climate change, same sex marriage and generational differences.’ Flavia McCarney
Please note that this play is presently unavailable, due to submissions to playwriting festivals/competitions - sorry!



The dramatic rescue of a girl on the Cornish coastline is linked by the account of an elderly man, who has waited to tell a similar story most of his life. Can they both convince those who doubt them, that the incredible events, connected by many decades apart, did really happen?
This short drama has a running time of approximately 13 minutes. It is set in the present day and does not require any props. It consists of 1 act with a cast of 4 characters - 2 male (aged
‘A very uplifting piece with some intriguing twists and turns. I very much enjoyed the fantasy elements that became evident towards the end of the piece, and the sense of being in on the secret that arises from Estie wishing Fred goodbye and realising she also knows his name without being told. Starting out there is a clear sense of drama, but it transforms through the piece and we are left feeling almost like it was a fairytale.’ Underscore Studios
‘I really enjoyed your play and can see it working as a lovely short film.’ Jessica Elisa Boyd, St Elmo Pictures.
