CHARLES HASLETT meets up-and-coming Saltaire playwright Jonathan Hall

Award winning Saltaire playwright Jonathan Hall, who gave up full-time teaching to concentrate on writing, is preparing to put on his latest production at the Priestley Centre.

The former deputy head teacher of Rye Croft First School in Holme Wood won the best play of the festival award at the Edinburgh Arts Festival in 1996.

Following his success the National Theatre signed him up to write a play, Mr Elliot.

He has since collaborated with one of Britain's hottest new playwrights, Shopping and F******'s Mark Ravenhill, on a script called City Dreams, as well as writing his own material.

His latest play, Rollover Dreaming, opens for a four night run starting April 21 at the Priestley Centre, formerly the Bradford Playhouse, in Chapel Street.

The story is set around seven men and women sitting in a pub waiting for the TV result of a triple rollover week on the National Lottery.

Jonathan said: "It's a play about people dreaming about winning the lottery. Really it's an ensemble piece. It looks at their arguments and the way they make up afterwards."

As to whether they win or lose, you'll have to go and see the play, but the production - which is acted out entirely by amateurs - promises both laughter and tears.

Jonathan, who still works as a supply teacher in between writing, explained why he decided to switch his affections from the blackboard to the typewriter.

He said: "I've been writing for ages. When I was little I couldn't play football but I could write and my stories were read often out in class.

"Once I became a teacher I'd get up at 5.30 in the mornings to write and then go to teach. I'd even write on holidays.

"It got to the stage when I thought 'I've got no family and a small mortgage, why not got for it?'. I don't regret it although I've been teaching almost as much as when I was full-time!"

Priestley Centre press officer Anne Turner said: "Jonathan's very talented and effectively he's our resident playwright at the Priestley. When he becomes rich and famous I don't know if we'll be able to keep hold of him."

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