Dead To Me is a disturbingly funny comedy by Darlington actor-turned-writer Gary Kitching about a man’s troubled relationship with a psychic and her spirit guide which is touring across the region from tonight and is part of the town's Jabberwocky Market.

Kitching has worked in all aspects of the performing arts, including theatre, film, TV, improvisational comedy and stand-up. He was worked with local companies and toured nationally, you can occasionally spot him on TV commercials. Jobs have included lecturing in improvisation and devising and doing workshops at schools to develop creative thinking and spontaneity within the curriculum. He started creating his own shows in 2010 which lead to Me and Mr C playing at Northern Stage's St Stephen's Edinburgh fringe venue in 2012.

His North-East-based company is called Gary Kitching & Co and is an associate company of Greyscale Theatre company. Currently living in Newcastle, Kitching's family still live in Darlington, where he attended Eastbourne Comprehensive.

Asked about the inspiration for his play in which he plays the character called Steve, he says: "I have been drawn to the supernatural and weird since being a young boy. Watching Friday night Hammer horror films definitely got me hooked in that world. As a teenager and into my early 20s, I would believe pretty much anything that I came across that was spiritual,new age or mystic.

"I even spent good money on visiting a few psychics and, to my shame, owned a set of ancient (mass produced) runes. I wanted to believe that there was more to this life than the confines of reality. However the more I read about psychics, healers and general mystics the more it became clear to me that these people where far from the benevolent compassionate personas they wished to portray themselves as. They seemed to me to be greedy unscrupulous vultures picking at the bones of another humans personal grief and insecurities. It made me angry.

"I don’t want everyone to share the same views as me, after all that's what makes us unique and interesting. What I do want is for people to be informed and educated so that they can make their own mind up and not just believe in something on the basis that “there might be something in it”. After all, just because I believe a unicorn lives in my garden doesn’t mean they actually exist.

About Dead to Me:

AUTUMN 2014 TOUR

Tonight, 7.30pm - Bishop Auckland Town Hall; Thur Sept 18, 7.30pm - Arts Centre Washington; Thur Sept 25, 8pm - The Customs House, South Shields; Tue Sept 30 to Fri Oct 3 - Northern Stage, Newcastle; Sat Oct 4 - Darlington Jabberwocky Market (Voodoo Cafe)

Viv Hardwick