Renowned Liverpool writer unveils debut stage play

Sep 26 2008 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

RENOWNED Liverpool writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce extends his talents from books and films for young people to his debut stage play.

Proper Clever follows a group of teenagers who have banded together to form a sub-culture alternative club.Š

Claire, Matthew, Rachel and Patrick are proper clever and they know it.ŠThey are watching people from the sidelines and they have a plan.ŠThen Bex stumbles into their virtual world.

But Bex is also friends with Riley, the prettiest, most popular girl in school. Could Bex be the perfect test dummy for Claire and her gang’s plan?

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is one of the most respected British screenwriters.ŠHis highly successful collaborations with director Michael Winterbottom include Forget About Me (1990), Butterfly Kiss (1995), Welcome to Sarajevo (1997), The Claim (2000), 24 Hour Party People (2002), Code 46 (2003) and A Cock and Bull Story (2005).

Frank has also worked with other directors such as Danny Boyle on Millions (2004), Alex Cox on Revenger's Tragedy (2002), and Anand Tucker on Hilary and Jackie (1998).

His debut novel for children, Millions, based on his own screenplay for the film, won the 2004 Carnegie Medal, while his next novel, Framed, was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book of the Year and the Carnegie Medal. Š

Cosmic, Frank’s third and most recent novel was described in the Daily Telegraph as “confirmation of his status as a writer of comic genius”.

Proper Clever can be seen at the Liverpool Playhouse from Friday, October 3-25. Ring the box office on 0151 709 4776 or visit www.everymanplayhouse.com.