THE Soap Opera has had a dominant presence on our screens for many years.  But were you a fan of Corrie back in the days when the Battersby’s moved onto the Street? Or how about when Don Brennan set fire to Mike Baldwin’s factory? And what about when Phil and Kathy married in Eastenders?

You probably didn’t know that those episodes and more, from shows like Brookside, Emmerdale and (for those that can remember it) Eldorado, were written by Catherine Hayes.

Catherine got her first break in TV when she wrote a play in 1981 that ITV used for its Playhouse drama series, starring Francesca de la Tour (Rising Damp) & Gwen Taylor (Barbara, Duty Free, Heartbeat)… called ‘Skirmishes’. This drama won numerous awards and positioned Catherine as the go to writer for dynamic, real-life characters that hold your attention – for good or for bad.

Well, theatre goers around the Old Harlow area are in for a treat as ‘Skirmishes’ is being brought to life at The Victoria Hall Theatre on Bury Road. The acerbic sisters Jean and Rita (played by local actors Gemma Colton and Jess Ricketts), are at the deathbed of their Mother (Jaki Newman) and there is no amount of love lost between them. 

It’s a beautiful piece about family dynamics, the indignity of dying and the legacy left for those that may, or may not, have to care for them. It’s a script filled with toxic dialogue, black humour and surprisingly relevant modern insight… considering it was penned over 40 years ago.

If you want to get tickets, you can find them at www.ticketsource.co.uk/thompson-promotions 

The show runs from 18th to 21st September.

This show is sponsored by WPA Healthcare (https://www.wpa.org.uk/healthcare-partner?link=gemmaupham) and Limitless Tuition (https://www.limitlesstuition.com/)