PEOPLE can hear one of the North-East's favourite playwrights talk about his forgotten plays this week.

The Prison Plays were inspired by Tom Hadaway's time as the first writer-in-residence at Durham Prison in 1986.

They were rescued from obscurity by actress and University of Sunderland drama lecturer Val McLane.

Ms McLane painstakingly pieced the plays together from scraps of paper and old scripts.

This week, the two will present extracts from the plays, and there will also be a chance to talk to them.

The talks will be at North Tyneside Central Library, North Shields, on Wednesday; Newcastle Arts Centre, in Westgate Road, on Thursday; and at the library and arts centre in Fawcett Street, Sunderland, on Friday.

The free events will all be from 1.30pm to 3pm, but places must be booked on 0191-515 2694.

Published: 24/01/2005