PLAYWRIGHT Stephen Fielding, from Egerton, Bolton, is among 10 North-west writers whose work will be staged at four top regional theatres. The plays, chosen from 250 scripts, will be produced under the Ticket to Write scheme run by Paines Plough, one of Britain's leading national new writing touring companies. Ticket to Write is in a two-year partnership with the Octagon Theatre, Bolton - the scheme's first regional partner - the Live Theatre, Newcastle, the Bristol Old Vic and the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England, the scheme seeks to develop and produce the best of new theatre writing.

The scheme's aims were outlined at the Octagon Theatre by the theatre's artistic director Lawrence Till, Vicky Featherstone, artistic director of Paines Plough and Mark Ravenhill, author of the successful play Shopping and F...... and literary director of Paines Plough.

Stephen Fielding, from Cox Green Road, was educated at Thornleigh School, Bolton, before reading English at Oxford. Afterwards he was involved in film-making at the London Film School. When his father died, he took over the family engineering company of Argo Products (Engineers) for a year. Then he travelled and lived in Asia, Australia and New Zealand for some time. He did varied work including teaching and working in vineyards.

During his stint at the London Film School he did some writing and produced a short film which was shown at the Chicago Film Festival.

When he returned from New Zealand he started submitting material and in 1995 he won the Granada New Voices and The Treasure of Zavimbi was broadcast that year. He was runner-up in the 1996 Dennis Potter play of the year award.

Stephen is also involved with Bolton Documentary Photography under the Community Arts group and is on the board of directors of Bolton Arts Forum.

Stephen says Ticket to Write is his "first real opportunity to explore the possibilities of theatre".

He said: "It's a privilege to be showcased in four great venues."

His play, provisionally titled The Voyage of the Good Ship Tracy, is set in Bolton. A man builds a boat in his back yard and plans to sail away, either in imagination or literally, with the girl who lives opposite.

"If the play comes up to what is required, it should be in Bolton for two and a half weeks in October," Stephen said.

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