Scarborough-originated one-woman show Build a Rocket is on tour around northern England this month before journeying to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Written by Scarborough-born Christopher York, performed by Scarborough actor Shannon Rewcroft and directed by Scarborough director Jordan Langford, it's the inspiring story of Yasmin, a 16-year-old girl - from Scarborough, naturally - whose life isn't sandcastles, arcades and donkey rides: she finds herself pregnant and alone.
Christopher York said: "Teenage pregnancy is so demonised and we’re quick to blame teenagers. There was a girl I was at school with who had a child at 15. I was astounded at her resilience and that she went on to pass her GCSEs, go to college and university, get married and raise a wonderful human being. She is a phenomenal person.
"We are still conservative about these topics. If we were more open and Scandinavian about how we tackle sex and sexual health, especially with young people, we may not have the statistics we do."
Actor Shannon Rewcroft said: “I first worked on the piece last year for director Jordan Langford. We fell in love with it and feel it is a truly special piece of writing.
"We're both from Scarborough, just like Christopher York. We've felt so connected to the characters and the story. We know the streets, the people, and the quirks. We found ourselves itching to share it, so much so that we produced it ourselves.”
The Build a Rocket tour is at Scarborough Tec Theatre (July 26); Spotlight Bar, Hull (July 27); Harrogate Theatre Studio (July 28); Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle (July 29); The Fitzgerald, Northern Quarter, Manchester (July 31) as part of the Manchester Fringe Festival, and Just Out of the Box: The Caves, Edinburgh (August 7-13).
More info and tickets here (Manchester)