Bliss in the country?

Feb 24 2010 by David Whetstone, The Journal

PLAYWRIGHT Mary Cooper came to Northumberland to find out what the locals thought of village life in the county. She talked to DAVID WHETSTONE about her new play, premiering tonight

AH, THE peaceful pleasures of village life! No traffic jams, no tower blocks, helpful and friendly neighbours, rolling green acres all around and a constant symphony of birdsong. What’s not to like?

Well, the answer to that question might come out of Mary Cooper’s new play, A Village Life.

Commissioned by Northumberland Theatre Company (NTC), it opens tonight at Alnwick Playhouse and I’d hazard a guess that a few home truths of a rural nature might be in the offing.

Taking a break from teaching on an Arvon Foundation writing course near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, Mary reflects on her many encounters on the highways and byways of Northumberland – and also at the bus stops of Pegswood.

“I spent a lot of time in Pegswood waiting for buses. I hate driving so I always use public transport but it made me realise what it’s like if you don’t have a car.

“If you are poor in Northumberland, you stay in one place. I did an awful lot of hanging around on streets in the early part of last year.”

Mary, who has been writing professionally since 1986, was commissioned to write the play in 2008 and spent the first half of last year researching.

“I didn’t want to write a play plucked out of the ether. Coming up to Alnwick to have a look round, I decided I wanted to talk to people and find out what was on their minds.”

What was on a lot of Northumberland people’s minds was property prices.

“Finding a home, if you are a young man in a not very well-paid job and your wife is pregnant, you’ll wonder how you are going to find a good place to bring up your family.