A FORMER Worcester schoolboy and emerging playwright is returning to his old stomping ground for the world premiere of his new production.

Simon Longman is staging Milked, a black comedy ab-out friendship, unemployment and a cow called Sandy, at Ledbury’s Market Theatre on Friday, November 15 The 26-year-old, who has received a bursary from Channel 4’s Playwright’s Scheme, lived in Malvern until he was about 11 before moving to Staplow, near Ledbury – a place that helped shape the play after he got interested in theatre while studying for his A-levels at RGS Worcester.

He said: “When I left uni and came back to Ledbury I was really lost and desperate as to what to do next.

“Job applications and rejection and the feeling that you are worthless was a common feeling and one that really is hard to move past.

“I don’t think young people are being given enough support at a really fragile time of their lives.

“Milked was my attempt to try and articulate that feeling into a story. That feeling of where you want to be, but not being able to get there.

“It can often feel devoid of hope, and I find it really important to show the effects that feeling can have.”

Milked was created by Pen-tabus Theatre in conjunction with the Courtyard in Hereford and the Ledbury performance will be streamed live to the website of London’s Royal Court Theatre, something Simon calls a “massive honour”.

Elizabeth Freestone, artistic director of Pentabus The-atre, said: “Simon’s writing is witty and humane, honest and playful. Milked is a cracking new play about what it’s really like being a young adult in the countryside today.

“He’s a writer on the up and we’re so pleased to be working with our friends at the Royal Court to enable a wider audience to see Simon’s work.”

The performance will be followed by a question and answer session with the cast and writer.

The show starts at 8pm and tickets are £9 (students and groups £8).

For more information, or to book tickets, go to themarkettheatre.com or alternatively call the box office on 07967 517125.