"NOWT LIKE THIS IN AMERICA out now, just in time for Christmas!!

“If you want to know what life was like for an ordinary working-class family on Tees-side, during the steel strike of 1980, you can do no better than buy Nowt Like This in America, a superb Community Play written by Alan Spence. Thoughtful, funny, emotionally powerful, it follows the fortunes of one family, the personal being framed by the political. An added bonus, the script is contextualised by both background material on the author and the period (heartfelt and honest) and production notes'. 

                                                                    Brian McAvera Playwright and Art Critic.

   “With your plays, it’s not just about the football and the Steel Strike, it’s all about us. It’s about our lives, how we live”.          

                                                                      Kay and Tom, Drake the Bookshop signing. 

“This delightful book brought back so many memories for me, both good and bad. When the government took on the trade unions, leading to the devastation of Teesside; to the extreme poverty and hopelessness that is the area now. Those days tore families and friends apart. Some wanted to fight, others just wanted redundancy packages. The bad memories of comrades come back with this evocative play. Alan writes with a local voice, and it's almost if you're sat in a pub discussing old times. One final point. I loved the fact that "nowt" is in the title. I can remember many a time getting a clip off my mam for saying "nowt". She'd say it's nothing, not nowt. Anyone would think you were dragged up...Happy days.”      

                                                                                       Peter Pinkney Former President at RMT.

“For many of a certain age, especially those in the North East, will remember the start of the 1980’s was not a joyous New Year, because British Steel workers were forced to go on strike. Behind the headlines in newspapers and on TV, many forget that there were families and communities trying to survive. Thousands, from all kinds of industries that suffered then, not just in the steel industry will relate to the characters and story of an ordinary family trying to get by. Nowt Like This in America is not just a brilliant read but a record of the times. One which perfectly captures the anger, dismay, humour and resilience of the area and its people. If you’re interested in the history of the class struggle and “Thatcher’s Britain” and the effects on ordinary hard working people then this is a must read”.

                                                            Francesca Hansen Actor and Business Woman. 

   “The script is engaging and does a good job of portraying the impact of the strike and its aftermath, especially on families and communities. I particularly like the way you give it a personal context in the Background section by describing your own involvement in the strike and telling the story of how you went from 11-plus failure to a drama teacher and playwright via working in the shipbuilding and steelmaking industries”.  

                                                     Pete McCarthy. The Art of Steel Home (weebly.com)