The Bench

The Bench is the second play by former BBC North East & Cumbria TV presenter Jeff Brown and, like the first, it delves into the underside of football. Unlike the first, Cornered, which was based on the true story of one man’s honest mistake, this is pure fiction: a tale of two young people, with the odds stacked against them, just trying to do the right thing.

A co-production with Gala Durham, The Bench tells the story of complete strangers whose paths cross on a park bench. In the ensuing weeks, they find that - despite their very different lives - they have more in common than they think.

Vicky is struggling as a single mum and carer for her mother. Adi is an Afro-French footballer, the local team’s recent multi-million pound signing with the world seemingly at his feet. But he hides a traumatic past and appears…