The Bench – a moving and funny play about love, loss and football – was a huge hit at the Customs House last year, and now it’s set to tour the region.

Written by playwright and broadcaster Jeff Brown (you’ll know him from ‘Look North’) ‘The Bench’ won ovations when it wowed the Customs House last year (the above still is taken from that production). It tells the story of Vicky, a single mother struggling with the pressures of daily life, and Adi, a young footballer striving to find his place both on and off the pitch. Despite being from different worlds, their unexpected meeting on a park bench reveals shared struggles and unlikely hope. Football fans will get a kick out of The Bench, true, but it’s a play that everyone can enjoy with its focus on resilience and connection. Heartfelt, touching, and flashlit with a sharp wit throughout, this production from CaroleW Productions and Gala Durham is set to star Hannah Marie Davis, Jason Njoroge, Abigail Lawson, Dan Howe and David Nellist. GM

The Bench is playing 17 venues across the north-east (check website below for the full list). Selected dates: 22-24 May, Gala Durham; 28 May, The Exchange 1856, North Shields; 4 June, Middlesbrough Town Hall; 5 June, Arts Centre Washington; 6 June, Alnwick Playhouse; 10 June, Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham; 11-14 June, Live Theatre, Newcastle; 18 June, Bishop Auckland Town Hall; 20 & 21 June, The Customs House, South Shields. More info: carolewproductions.com/the-bench