Future Productions by the Progressive Players
Comedy Double Bill – Housebound by Simon Mawdsley & Upstairs at The Hotspur by Dick Curran
Housebound by Simon Mawdsley & Upstairs at The Hotspur by Dick Curran
Housebound by Audacity writer, Simon Mawdsley.
Upstairs at The Hotspur a comedy one-act play by award winning local writer, Dick Curran.
Housebound
By Simon Mawdsley
Fiona, a suburban housewife with chronic agoraphobia, has just said goodbye to her husband as he sets off to work. Switching on her iPad for some of her favourite classical music, she prepares herself for another day alone. But today is different. One minute Fiona is dusting the sideboard, the next she's being held hostage by Bone, a reluctant gangster with a passion for reggae. As the desperate minutes tick by, an uneasy rapport develops between two people with almost nothing in common.
Winner of the Best New Play Award at the 2013 Cambridge Drama Festival, Housebound is tense, touching and very funny
Upstairs at the Hotspur follows the activities of the Northumberland Nationalist Party - a small, fanatical group dedicated to re-establishing the ancient kingdom of Northumbria. Their current strategy to publicise and advance their cause is to bring the Lindisfarne Gospels back to the North East, by stealing them from the British Library.
Home, I’m Darling
Laura Wade
Welcome to Judy’s world: a pastel-perfect 1950s dream of cocktails, canapés, and crisp house dresses. But beneath the smiles and spotless surfaces, something isn’t quite right. What begins as a nostalgic escape spirals into a sharp, thrilling unravelling of identity, obsession and the darker side of domestic bliss.
Home, I’m Darling is a bold, bitingly funny, and fiercely stylish play that asks: how far would you go to live the life you think you want?
Step back in time, but don’t get too comfortable.
9th - 14th March 2026
The Unfriend by Dr Who writer, Steven Moffat.
Steven Moffat
The Unfriend is a comedy play by Steven Moffat about a middle-aged English couple, Peter and Debbie, who befriend a friendly American woman named Elsa on vacation. They promise to stay in touch out of politeness but are horrified when she unexpectedly shows up at their suburban home a few months later.
The synopsis revolves around their attempts to get rid of their unwanted, unsettling guest while struggling with the social obligation and politeness that prevents them from simply asking her to leave
Murder Story
Ludovic Kennedy
Murder Story by Ludovic Kennedy and based on true events.
The life of the Tanner family is turned upside down when their son, Jim, is sentenced to death for the murder of PC Albert Tomkins. And whilst in prison Jim is looked after by two kind officers and even learns to read.
Written by Ludovic Kennedy , who was very much against the death penalty. We see the torment Jim’s family goes through and the impact on a “simple lad” who is accused of a terrible crime.
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An Instant in Time
We take a look at the story behind the image on our poster for our July production.
Best Foot Forward
Sarah Balkwill, director of our June production Cheshire Cats, explains why the play is so special to her.