Playwright's debut

Beth Flintoff's first play for The Watermill youth theatre is an adventure thriller set in 1948

Beth Flintoff's role as The Watermill's learning and participation director includes a myriad of responsibilities, but one not on the job description was playwright. However. she has just written her first play which the Senior Youth Theatre will perform from next week. The Girl who Never Forgot, to be performed by 28 youngsters aged 11-16, from Wednesday to saturday, is a thrilling adventure story that takes place across post-war Europe. London,1948 - Sophie has a photographic memory. Together with a brilliant young academic, she is asked to go undercover to help find a crucial missing document, but they soon find themselves in deadly danger.

Beth says ‘I was in a Hitchcock spoof play set in the 1940s when I was an actor - before I came to The Watermill - and I felt that the Senior Youth Theatre would really enjoy doing a play from this period. But there wasn't a published play that was quite right, so Ade Morris suggested I write something especially for them. It's not something I've ever done before, and it was very nerve-racking, but having an enthusiastic group of people in mind to write for really helped. I've always been fascinated by memory and how it operates: my own memory sometimes works photographically (though I still forget where I've put my keys in the morning) and I was interested in seeing what would happen to someone whose memory was absolutely perfect. What would she do, and how would people treat her?'

‘Rehearsals are going well so far, we are brushing up on our cut-glass 1940s English accents. The cast are incredibly dedicated, turning up night after night, after school, for three hour-long rehearsals. Their parents are pretty dedicated too! We hope that people will come along and support this remarkable collection of young people, and enjoy a night of film noir-esque drama on the stage.'

For further information visit www.watermill.org.uk