Emily Craig watches the first steps towards the latest Catherine Cookson-inspired project

THE fascinating journey to bring The Cinder Path by South Shields' Dame Catherine Cookson to the stage has begun. By the autumn, Ion Productions aims to have a production to rival that of Ray Marshall's North-East filmed TV mini-series in 1994 which helped to make stars of Lloyd Owen, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tom Bell,

Founder and artistic director of Ion Productions Gareth Hunter is bringing a decade of experience to bear on the latest, and first, cast to venture down the stage route to re-visit the tale of 1978 tale of young farmer’s boy Charlie MacFell, who is under the thumb of his controlling father. When something terrible happens to Charlie’s father, he is forced to keep a dark secret to save a friendship. The young man is destined to marry another farmer’s daughter, Victoria Chapman, but her younger sister, Nellie, is secretly in love with Charlie. Joining the Army to fight in the First World War might be one way out of Charlie's problems, but the past returns to haunt him.

What better way to remind the region of Cookson's charismatic books than launch a workshop to a selected audience involving the cast of James Hedley (Charlie), Lawrence Neale (Ginger/Hal Chapman), Paul Dunn (Edward MacFell), Sarah Boulter (Nellie/Mrs Dimple), Jessica Johnson (Polly/ Florence Chapman), Christina Dawson (Victoria Chapman) and Dean Logan (Arthur).

Cleverly, the talented array of actors performed a selection of scenes without giving too much away of the plot (there must be some who hadn’t read the book or seen the TV series).

Stripped back in style, the chapel of the Mission to Seafarer at Mill Dam made an appealing backdrop for cast members in casual clothes.

The performance was instantly engaging and the decision to show scenes adapted from the early part of the novel left the audience wanting to know what happens to Charlie – and who he ends up with. Hedley and Neale emerged from the workshop as extremely strong assets while the females seemed to struggle because they have characters who I found to be slightly unlikeable. I can only hope and imagine that the roles will develop in the rest of the play.

With the iconic celebrations surrounding the Great War, The Cinder Path comes across as extremely relevant. No, it doesn’t apply to today’s life, but the history of this kind is as popular as ever. Romantic she might be, but Cookson's ability to make us care about the people in her stories means that the region has another reason to live out her legacy.

  • The Cinder Path will be shown at the Customs House, South Shields, in September. customshouse.co.uk