MEMBERS of a new theatre company will relive the hangovers and headaches of student life in a play written by their artistic director.

Former Accrington and Rossendale College performing arts lecturer Adam Calvert, 29, has set up Blind Corner Theatre Company with friends and former students, to bring new theatre works to East Lancashire.

The company’s first production, comedy The Morning After is set in the living room of a student house, after a series of parties.

The scenes are based on Adam’s own experience of university life, with the ‘typical’ characters people may encounter – the ‘surly sports second year’, the drama student, the academic.

Each night’s activities plays out in a video clip, before the live action takes over.

“This format has given us a lot of freedom – even though it’s all set in the one room,” Adam said.

“There is the traffic of a shared house, so in one scene some characters may only have one or two lines, but in another they are the focus.”

As a new venture, spending has been kept to a minimum, and Padiham Football Club has supported Blind Corner with the use of its bar as a rehearsal space.

Adam was inspired to set up Blind Corner to cater for a new market in amateur theatre. “I had a group of people round me looking for an outlet, as they weren’t necessarily suited to the groups already running in the area,” he said.

“Together, we wanted to find a new niche. We wanted to do things for people in their 20s.”

Now the St Christopher’s High School marketing officer hopes Blind Corner will be welcomed by audiences at Thwaites Empire Theatre for its debut next Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, 7.30pm.

“Theatre should be something everyone can enjoy, rather than an elitist thing – with people worrying about what to wear and spending £100 a ticket. It should be for the community.

Call 01254 685500 for tickets, £9.