Broken Biscuits returns to the Liverpool stage

TRISHA Duffy's emotional drama Broken Biscuits has moved on since its 2014 debut, and can be seen in the Royal Court Studio this week.The play was MADEUP's top production of the year when it debuted, and the critical acclaim combined with a word of mouth buzz saw it enjoy successful runs at the Lantern and Unity theatres as well as a sell-out stint at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Touching, funny and very real, Broken Biscuits tells the story of a fateful night in the lives of two old friends - one whose son returned from war and one whose did not.Broken Biscuits' original creative team of Trisha and director (and former Lantern artistic director) Margaret Connell, with cast of Gillian Hardie - who went on to Kinky Boots and Mama Mia in the West End - Leanne Martin and Louise Garcia, proved to be a close-knit one on stage and off."It's women writing for women, with a female director and that's something that's still quite a minority in this industry," says Trisha.As a first-time playwright, she was overwhelmed with the response; and now, four years on, has more plans for the piece."I just wanted to get it out there again and do a little taster, to refresh it in everyone's mind and see what the interest was," she says.It was a Lantern-grown success story, so finding the right venue since the fringe theatre's closure was a priority. Similar-sized venues with the right set up had been hard to find, until the Royal Court opened it own studio space earlier this year.Broken Biscuits is something a bit different for the theatre, normally more associated with Scouse comedies, but the risk paid off - with this week's three performances in the new 150-seater studio sold out well in advance."The Royal Court Studio is a great platform, and the space is gorgeous with a really nice vibe," Trisha says.Now years on from its debut, Trisha still sees the potential in the characters and her story of Broken Biscuits, and has written a second part she is hoping to stage next year that will take a closer look at the "unanswered questions" left in the aftermath of the original's dramatic climax.For more on this week's shows on Friday and Saturday (November 30, and December 1 including matinee), see the Royal Court's website.