Since its inception in 1997 Cloud Nine has commisioned and produced almost 20 new plays, all written by Northern Writers.

The Company's first production, Peter Mortimer's THE TRIP was staged in 1998 at Cullercoats Community Centre and then transferred to Whitley Bay Playhouse.

It was followed by a large-scale community project, CLOCKMAN staged again at Whitley Bay Playhouse.

The Company then branched out into touring with 2 sets of 4 short plays, FOURPLAY followed by FOUR BY NINE.

At the turn of the century Cloud Nine began to develop a touring pub sketch show, COMEDY BITES. There have now been 4 seperate COMEDY BITES shows and many new playwrights have cut their teeth writing sketches for them. The new incarnation of our comedy sketch show, LAUGHTER FACTORY, tours in July 2007.

HADAWAY: THE MAKING OF A WRITER by Valerie Laws was the Company's contribution to the 2003 Tom Hadaway Festival and in 2004 the Company toured Peter Mortimer's OFF THE WALL on foot along the length of Hadrian's Wall.

'Summer 2005 saw Alex Ferguson's play on the Shields Ferry, SHIPS THAT PASS, with THREESOME, 3 short plays by Paul Buie, Sarah Millican and Simon Moore in Autumn 2005.

The Company worked with York Theatre Royal on DOUBLE ACT,  2 one-act plays Cloud Nine commisioned from Joanna Piesse (The Steal) and Kitty Fitzgerald (Men, Women, Inspectors & Dogs),  performed at York Theatre Royal Studio and north east venues in October-November 2006, after a summer revival of Tom Hadaway's last commissioned play, BILLY WILSON, BIG FISH.

2007 saw our community play by an over 60's group, KAT AMONG THE PIDGEONS, who followed up with a revival of Kitty Fitzgerald's MAKING PLANS FOR JESSICA in November, together with a half hour comedy sketch show, both performed at lunchtimes at North Shields Library. In 2007 we moved into our new home, at Linskill Centre, North Shields, where we held our big ten year anniversary celebration on 29th September, CLOUD NINE AT TEN, featuring a comic history of Cloud Nine and live music in a gala night. THE SELKIE by Valerie Laws, with live music and songs by Valerie, put to music and sung by The Keelers and Katie Doherty, opened at Sage Gateshead for 4 performances in February 2008, followed by a two week regional tour from Berwick to York and Whitby. RIOT, by Peter Mortimer followed at Customs House South Shields in June; and at Unity Theatre, Liverpool in July, as part of the Arabic Arts Festival. The Sixties Group continued to meet, working on a new play, Bingo!, with Kitty Fitzgerald, for performance in Autumn 2008.

April 2008