HEREFORD-based author David Pollard is enjoying a busy time at the moment.

His new one-act play, Can Malone Die? will receive its first performance at The Courtyard as part of this year's Write-On Festival of new dramatic writing. The Malone of the title is the fictional creation of writer Max Feeney. When Feeney decides to kill off his character Malone puts in an appearance in person with explosive and unexpected results.

Can Malone Die will be performed on Friday, July 1 as part of a double-bill with the play Is There Any Hope? written by fellow author Alison Leigh.

At the same time an earlier full-length play by David - Watchers’ - which received its debut performance at The Market Theatre in Ledbury has been published by Playwrights Publishing Company of Nottingham as an e-Book.

Watchers is a story of deception and intrigue set in today’s surveillance society and reflects the power of the press and other non-official entities to manipulate events for their own ends.

Watchers is now available for performance under licence – performance rights being handled by Playwrights Publishing Company. Copies of the play can be obtained online at playwrightspublishing.com

To book for the Write-on Festival, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk