Bristol Evening Post preview, 23 October 2006

Rivalry, revolt and a taste of life behind the scenes

SALT'N'SAUCE, a new play by Bristol writer Tim Massey, premieres at the Alma Tavern pub theatre in Clifton from October 31 to November 11.

Tim, a part-time assistant in the Bolland Library at UWE's Frenchay campus, was one of 40 local writers who submitted proposals on the theme of Inside Out for Theatre West's annual Search for a Script in the spring.

The Alma Tavern's resident company picked nine of the proposals to develop into scripts, and chose Salt'n'Sauce as one of four finalists to produce this autumn.

Salt'n'Sauce centres on a wannabe playwright who runs up a huge credit card bill to stage a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. But, with his arch-rival beating him at the box office, a megalomaniac director with ulterior motives and a cast and crew in near revolt, he wonders if the show really must go on.

Salt'n'Sauce is Tim's fIrst work to be staged in Bristol since UWE's Centre for Performing Arts produced Acid Drops, a double-bill of plays, at the QEH Theatre in October 2001.

Tim is artistic director of Southwest Scriptwriters – Bristol’s leading group for writers of drama for all media – and leads the group's regular scriptwriting workshop meetings at Bristol Old Vic.

He said: "The Alma's my favourite place to have a play performed. And it's great to be working with Theatre West – a company which has produced more new plays in recent years than any other in the whole of the South West."

Salt'n'Sauce is at the Alma Tavern, 18-20 Alma Vale Road, BS8 2HY, at 8.30pm on Tuesday to Saturday evenings. Tickets, priced £6/£5, can be reserved by calling the booking line on 946 7899.

Full details of Theatre West's autumn 2006 programme are available online at www.theatre-west.co.uk with further information on Salt'n'Sauce at www.saltnsauce.com.