Playwright Angie Smith has roots in both Huddersfield and Jamaica.
This dual heritage is something that she mines successfully for her work, which often draws on personal experiences.
Her latest play, Wrong Move (at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield on Saturday, October 7), has scenes set in Yorkshire and the Caribbean and promises to bring both tropical sunshine and more than a few laughs to her home town.
Angie has had a long association with the theatre. Her work as a cleaner at the LBT funded her efforts as writer and over the years she’s produced play after play for her own company Jamrock Productions. They’ve been seen in Huddersfield and further afield – with performances in Manchester and Birmingham.
Wrong Move is about leading character Bill and his plans to spend his retirement in Jamaica. But his wife is not happy and would rather move somewhere else. No-one can make him change his mind. Then long-time friend Charlie says he can help to make Bill’s dream of a Caribbean retirement come true. But can he?
Angie, who was born in Huddersfield but returned to her family’s home in Jamaica when she was a toddler, writes about the community she knows – families, neighbours, motherhood, everyday situations and single parenting. After returning to Huddersfield while in her thirties, she raised her son Chadeik, studied at Huddersfield Technical College and launched her career as a playwright.
Previous works, such as Family Confusion, Thy Neighbours and The Funeral, suffused with Angie’s trademark wit and warmth, have proved popular with local audiences. She’s now hoping that Wrong Move, the second play in the new season of home-grown productions, will hit the same spot.
Tickets are £8 and £10 from thelbt.org.uk or 01484 430528.
