Viv Hardwick catches up with North-East playwright Graham Farrow, who is in demand in America.

YARM-BASED playwright Graham Farrow is enjoying an enduring love affair with the US and is over there now attending the world premiere of his latest work, Pure Morning, in Indianapolis.

His first two plays, Talk About The Passion, 1998, and Rattlesnakes, 2001, have found international fame, and the Merely Players of Evansville, Kentucky, were frontrunners to take his latest psychological thriller having staged the two earlier works.

A run of preview performances around the US this month has led to a world premiere run at the Indyfringe Central last night, today and tomorrow.

Pure Morning tells the story of six strangers, who all have problems with authority, ending up in a hotel room together on a day when the president is arriving in their small town. Farrow, whose work has been described as like the early works of Stephen King, says: “Well the opening performances of Pure Morning were phenomenal; standing ovations, people not wanting to leave the theatre and record-breaking receipts.

“This play is about a group of people who plot to kill the president (obviously that is going to interest local audiences), but there is a major twist in the tail, a la Talk About The Passion that you don’t see coming.

“The cast is tremendous and they don’t usually stretch themselves in plays such as this. We’ve taken the play to Evansville and then on to Indianapolis. I’m loving it.”

He reveals that Rattlesnakes, with the storyline of a male escort being confronted by angry husbands, is in advanced development as a film.

Farrow adds: “Talk about the Passion is constantly sought out by film companies, but I’m reluctant to do a deal as that play (which was based on the murder of James Bulger in 1993) could be ruined on screen and it has to be done right.

“There is company in London who want to work with me on my return and I was heartened to receive an email from the artistic director of a theatre group in Stockton, Vivid Theatre, who is interested in working with me. Talk about the Passion continues to be played across the world and its great to travel around and see the work.”

The playwright is taking part in a question-and-answer session after each performance.