Hometown show 'a career highlight' for writer

John Osborne said while taking his show around the United Kingdom, it was "very rare" for him to not bump into someone with a connection to Norwich

A writer and storyteller says bringing his show about his hometown to one of his favourite theatres is a "career highlight".

John Osborne, 41, first came to Norwich in 2000 and felt an "initial pull" to the city.

His show Norwich: A Love Story is a love letter to a city he has fond memories of and is being performed at Norwich Playhouse on Monday.

"If you could find a more Norwich-y show, I would love to hear about it," he said.

Osborne's first experience of Norwich was for a university open day for his twin sister.

While he had no interest and instead wanted to become a chef, as soon as he arrived at the University of East Anglia's concrete campus, he was sold.

"I've moved away a couple of times... I've always been pulled back to it," he said.

"As soon as I stepped foot on the campus I thought 'I have to come here'... it made me very happy immediately and I didn't want to go anywhere else."

'A huge thing'

While taking the show to other venues in the United Kingdom, it was "very rare" for him not to meet someone with a connection to Norwich, he said.

He said he was "really excited" to be back at Norwich Playhouse.

"It's one of my favourite theatres in the whole country... it's definitely a huge thing for me to have a show there," he said.

"I've been performing stories, poems and theatre shows in Norwich for 15 years, so this is definitely a career highlight."

Norwich Market, Jarrolds department store (both pictured), the Waterfront and Waterloo Park feature in the show

The show itself is a love story between two characters, in which a woman living in Scotland drops everything to move to Norwich after falling in love.

But a second love story runs beneath the surface, characterised by memories and emotions evoked by places around the city.

Jarrolds department store, Norwich Market, the Waterfront and Waterloo Park - all places people from the city will recognise - feature in the show.

Osborne said: "Because I'm not from here and there is so much about Norwich I don't know, I didn't want to stand on stage at the Playhouse with a lot of people who will know a lot more about Norwich than I do... it's about the emotions and love of those places, rather than the factual history of them."