| Description | This collection pertains to the records of the British play and later television series Watching written by Jim Hitchmough, containing rehearsal and camera scripts, storylines, and other associated materials, alongside other works by Jim Hitchmough. The collection also includes a large number of theatre material from other productions, including in and around Merseyside, collected by Jim Hitchmough and used within his research and development. |
| AdminHistory | Watching was originally written by Jim Hitchmough as a two handed play, directed by Tony Mullholland to open at the Liverpool Playhouse Studio in February 1986. Watching was set in Merseyside, following the relationship between Brenda from Liverpool and Malcolm from Meols. The play was well received, with the Liverpool Echo citing it as 'a steadfast case for more plays about ordinary people.' The show later transferred to London’s Bush Theatre, where it also received mainly positive reviews. The play was later produced at the Everyman Theatre in 1995, directed by Noreen Kershaw and starring Gaynor Spearitt as Brenda and David Cole as Malcolm (see EVT/P/000259, EVT/PG/000181, EVT/POS/000208, EVT/PR/000099).
The play became the basis for a television show, broadcast on Granada Television between 1987 and 1993, with the first episode reflecting the first half of the play, and later series following the development of the characters. The TV series starred Paul Brown as Malcolm Stoneway and Emma Wray as Brenda Wilson. A novelisation of the TV series was made in 1990 (see WJH/W/000024 and EVT/R/000016). |
| CustodialHistory | This collection was kindly donated to LJMU Special Collections & Archives in 2017 by Maeve Hitchmough. |