“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 thefortunes of one family, the personal being framed
by the political. As an added bonus, the script is contextualised by both
background material on the author and the period (heartfelt and honest) as well
as production notes".
Brian McAvera, Playwright and Art Critic.
"For many of a certain age, especially those in the North East,
will remember the start of the 1980’s was not a joyous occasion you’d normally
associate with the New Year. Instead, British Steel workers were forced to go
on strike to fight for a decent wage.Behind
the headlines in newspapers and on the TV many forget that there were families
and communities trying to survive.
Many people, from many industries that suffered back then, not
just those in the steel industry will relate to the characters and story of a
ordinary family trying to get by. Nowt Like This in America is not just abrilliant read but a record of the times.
Onewhich 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".
