Derek wrote his first full-length stage play in 1979, aged 14. It came to the attention of legendary agent Margaret Ramsay who encouraged and promoted him from then on.

By the time he was 18, Ramsay was sending his work to the National Theatre.

Over the years, Derek has written dozens of stage plays, many of which have been performed throughout the UK. Below is a selection of some of this work:

1992 Five Clowns On Their Way To Save The Hero was taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival by Crumpet Theatre Co, sponsored by the University of Central Lancashire

In the same year, Derek wrote two 1-person plays for Comicart Theatre: Lacrima and The Jack Ketch Guide to Unnecessary Violence.

1994 Lacrima was revived at the Brickhouse Theatre, Manchester by New Work 94

This was part of a showcase of new writing as Manchester was City of Drama. From this showcase, Derek and another writer were commissioned to write new plays to be presented as a double bill with a shared cast. They were performed at the Royal Exchange’s mobile theatre in Castlefield, Manchester. Derek’s play was a farce called Have-A-Go Granny Needed Twenty Stitches.

1996 Free As A Bird won the Flintshire 1-Act Play Competition and was performed at Clywd Theatr Cymru by Road Theatre Company.

Dusty Pens, produced by RHJ Theatre Company, premiered. It was to tour around the UK over the next few years, including the Buxton Theatre Festival and the Llangollen International Festival.

1997 With GoStay, Derek once again won the Flintshire 1-Act Play Competition; it was performed at Clywd Theatr Cymru by Car Boot Theatre Company.

Much of Derek’s work at this time was commissioned TiE plays and other applied theatre. See the ‘Educational Work’ page for further details.

2003 Derek’s adaptation of Treasure Island was premiered at Eye Castle, Suffolk

2006 Grapeshot and Eggshells were performed at Theatre 503, Battersea, as part of new writing showcases.

Party Pieces was given a rehearsed reading at the Allardyce Nicol Studio at the University of Birmingham, directed by Alison Sutcliffe.

2012 Derek adapted the diaries of Victorian journalist Anthony Hewitson for a one-man play, performed by John Hickey. The show premiered in Hewitson’s native city, Preston, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his death.

2013 A shortened version of Party Pieces was performed as part of The Threepenny Festival in Manchester.

2014 Comicart Theatre presented a double bill of Derek’s plays The Flatslappers and Still Living The Dream.

Grapeshot was revived for a North-West tour by Postcard Theatre.

2015 Lacrima was revived by Fribble Theatre

Oh Tangerine, Oh Tangerine was given a rehearsed reading at Kings Arms, Salford

Most of Derek’s work has been for live performance. He has also written for radio. He adapted Ken Cook’s Ivy’s Clogs (BBC Radio Lancashire) and his work has featured in The Show What You Wrote (BBC Radio 4).

Further details of Derek’s plays can be found here: