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The Progressive Players are hitting the road again, with an entry in a prestigious drama competition.
Housebound, by Simon Mawdsley, will be staged for one night only at the Royalty Theatre in Sunderland, as part of the Durham & Sunderland One Act Play Festival. Richard Bevan and Weronika Okroj will be reprising their roles as Bone and Fiona, having enjoyed a successful run for audiences at the Little Theatre Gateshead in February 2026.
This will be the third outing in the festival for the Progressive Players. In 2021 we entered for the first time with two plays; The Signalman, an adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens ghost story by local playwright Matt Harper, and The Quintessential Quintet, a spoof on Enid Blyton’s adventure stories, written by Frances Bartram. Due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, that festival was held entirely on YouTube. The Signalman received awards for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cameo. The production also won the Adjudicator’s Choice award, together with the overall award for Best Play of the festival.
In 2022 we entered with a brand new play, An Evil Thing, by local playwright Sarah-May Simpson. The festival was held on stage at the Alun Armstrong Theatre in Stanley, County Durham. The Progressives came away with the trophy for Best Supporting Actor/Actress, and An Evil Thing won the Allan Monkhouse Award for Best New Play.
Weronika and Richard are keeping their fingers crossed for similar success when they take to the stage with Housebound in Sunderland on 4 March.
Regular Little Theatre-goers will remember Weronika Okroj in her Progressive Players debut as Maggie in a 1960s updated version of the classic Lancashire comedy, Hobson’s Choice, in October 2025. Housebound is her second play for the company. Richard Bevan joined the society in 2024, and has appeared in Out of Sight… Out of Murder, Dracula! The Radio Play, Dead Ringer and Rudolph Saves the Day.
Housebound is directed by veteran PP member Jim Race. Since joining in 1979, Jim has appeared in over 70 plays, including the title role in The Signalman, and most recently in Dancing at Lughnasa and Macbeth. Among the productions he has directed are Amadeus, The Thrill of Love and Breaking the Code.
“I’m really chuffed to be taking Housebound to the Durham & Sunderland One Act Festival,” says Jim. “We have the privilege of opening the festival on 4 March, which is an honour in itself for the Progressive Players. It’s a great experience to share the stage with some of the best amateur drama societies in the North East. It was nice to receive a lovely email from Simon Mawdsley, too. I hope the Progressive Players do him proud at the festival.”
In his email, Simon Mawdsley explained that he was inspired to write Housebound after witnessing the reaction of a burly, tough-looking man to a wasp in a train carriage, adding, “I hope the play goes well. Let me know how you get on.”
For more details about the festival, check The Durham & Sunderland One Act Play Festival page on Facebook
Tickets available at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre