North Tyneside’s Cloud Nine Theatre Company has revealed its latest production, The End of the Pier by Neil Armstrong.
Set in a tatty end of the pier dressing room in Edwardian England, The End of the Pier is the story of Lionel and Edith Bosh, a music hall song and dance duo otherwise known as “The Love-Birds”—a somewhat ironic title given that after twenty-five years of marriage and performing together they are now completely and utterly sick of the sight of each other.
Both feel completely trapped in this union and both have secretly came to a decision: unbeknownst to Edith, Lionel has decided to murder her and, unbeknownst to Lionel, Edith has decided to murder him—on the same night.
Unfortunately, things don't go according to either of their plans when an unexpected guest arrives in their dressing room.
Neil Armstrong has been writing comedy for theatre and television for over twenty-five years and his work has been nominated for awards from BAFTA, The Writers' Guild of Great Britain and The National Comedy Awards. His most recent play, Remember Jim?, won “Best Show” in the 2014 Sunderland Culture awards.
He has also directed many of Cloud Nine’s previous productions and is co-director and writer (and villain) of the panto at Durham’s Gala Theatre.
The End of the Pier opens at the Memorial Hall in Wallsend on 20 June before going on to The Exchange in North Shields (21), Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre (22), Arts Centre Washington (23) and the Gala Theatre, Durham (24 and 25).