 It's a case of blonde ambition at The People's Theatre next week. New Writing North and The People's present the winner of the 2006 People's Play Award following the competition to discover and develop new writers for theatre. The winning play, My Mam Was An Ice-Cream Blonde, by Alison Carr, will be staged next week. Fifteen-year-old Jenny (Emma Richardson) has never known her mother. Until now. Raised by her father (Kevin Saint) and at loggerheads with his no-nonsense girlfriend Tracey (Helen Belgian), Jenny retreats into a fantasy world where her mother is a glamorous movie star of 1930s Hollywood. Imagination is a powerful thing and as Jenny and Mam (Kath Frazer) become closer, the lines between reality and make-believe are blurred. Competition winner Alison Carr, 25, of Heaton, describes where the initial idea for the play came from. "When I was younger I was fascinated with Hollywood, the glitter and excitement. "I did actually get to visit the place as part of a family holiday about 10 years ago - it was such a disappointment, not a bit like I'd thought. "I think that memory stayed with me and when it came to writing this play, it fed through - the contrast between what you think, or hope, something is going to be like and the reality of it." While the play's foundations may be built upon this interest in the apparent glamour of Tinsel Town, the end product is much more home grown. "It is set now in a Tyneside house," explains Alison. "The characters, their relationships, are all very real and recognisable. At its heart it's a simple story of a family but then the addition of Mam, this extravagant fantasy figure, turns everything on its head". The play is being directed by Tony Childs. "It has been a delight to rehearse and I'm sure audiences will be delighted too. It's a lovely blend of humour, seriousness, real life and fantasy. I can't imagine anybody not enjoying it." My Mam Was An Ice-Cream Blonde is at The Studio Upstairs, People's Theatre, Newcastle, from Tuesday next week to May 20. Tickets £8 (£6 concs), at (0191) 265 5020 or www.peoples-theatre.co.uk | 
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