BBC Look North’s Jeff Brown has written ‘The Bench’, a play about love, loss and Football. See it at The Customs House in South Shields this September.

You know what it’s like. You’ve just been transferred to a Premier League football club in a multi-million pound deal, but you’re struggling to hit the back of the net. You’re also struggling to make friends. But when you meet single mother Vicky on a local park bench, might things be different? This isn’t Jeff Brown’s first play. Indeed, it isn’t even his first play that uses football to explore other areas. ‘Cornered’ told the story of David Corner, a Sunderland player whose infamous 1985 cup final miss led to years of bullying. That was based on a true story, but ‘The Bench’ is entirely fictional. But the themes it deals in are universal, particularly when posing questions such as: should you follow your heart or head. It’s also moving, funny, heart-warming and very much another home win. RM

The Bench, Wednesday 20-Saturday 23 September, The Customs House, South Shields, 7.30pm (mats Thurs & Sat 2.30pm), from £12, customshouse.co.uk