Cumbrian play Steel goes on tour

Cumbrian play Steel is set to go on tour.

The two-hander is set in Workington and follows teens James and Kamran and their town-wide treasure hunt.

Written by Lee Mattinson, who was inspired by his experiences growing up gay and creative in Workington with an ex-steelworker dad.

Lee said: “In writing Steel, I wanted to explore the experiences of two young men at odds with their small-town surroundings.

“I’ve attempted to show the town in all of its wild and eccentric ways – it’s an inherently theatrical world and to explore the tension between its extraordinary characters was a gift.

“The play is a post-industrial fable for which the naturally dramatic world of Workington, with its roaring sea on one side and the picturesque fells on the other, provided the perfect backdrop.

“The story was inspired by my desire to offer a character some agency in a world where he has very little.

“Coming out as gay in a small town in the 90s was tough, and I wanted to explore that narrative against the intersectionality of race and class in a place recently named the whitest in the UK.

“It was a very odd experience watching the play performed in my hometown, and I’m really excited to see this weird and wonderful corner of West Cumbria on a national stage.”

James is played by Cumbrian-born Jordan Tweddle and Suraj Shah plays Kamran and the multiple other characters.

It was commissioned by Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake and directed by the theatre’s artistic director Liz Stevenson.

Following the success of the world premiere of the show in Keswick last year and a local tour, which included Workington’s Carnegie Theatre, the show is embarking on a UK wide tour this year.

Steel is on tour from May 1 until June 14.

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