Kevin Halliday, a lifelong Sunderland supporter, over the course of an afternoon in the back garden of his home—on the site of the former Roker Park—recalls the events of his life as they interweave with the fortunes of his beloved club.
That's the premise of I Left My Heart in Roker Park & Extra Time at the Stadium of Light by NE playwright and poet Tom Kelly.
Kelly's play, peformed by Paul Dunn, himself a Sunderland fan, will be touring this month to three venues in the region—the Customs House in South Shields, Arts Centre Washington and the Gala, Durham—and such has been the demand for tickets that extra performances have been added to the South Shields and Durham runs.
"It's a play about excitement, heartache, disappointment, satisfaction and jubilation," said Dunn. "For Kevin, watching his team and living his life have both provided them all. It's a funny, poignant and ultimately heart-warming play that tells the story of one man's journey through his life and loves."
Tom Kelly's plays include the musical Tom and Catherine (about Catherine Cookson), a version of Robert Westall's The Machine Gunners, I Heart Kent Walton, Baby Love, Dan Dare - the Musical, The Girl and the Unicorn and Kelly (with music and lyrics by Alan Price).
Paul Dunn's credits as an actor include Fawlty Towers (as Basil Fawlty) and I {Heart} ST.
This will be the play's fourth production. It premièred at the Customs House in 1997 and was revived in 1998 and 2004.
It plays at the Customs House from 19 to 21 September, at Arts Centre Washington on 25 and at the Gala on 23, 27 and 28. Some performances are already sold out and some close to being so. Check with the venues for availability.