A BUDDING playwright is bringing her debut work to her old university in Uxbridge as part of a national tour – starring her childhood friend and BAFTA-nominated actor Cathy Tyson.

She Called Me Mother, by Michelle Innis, is stopping at Brunel University on November 4 as part of its tour.

Cathy and Michelle are both former students at Brunel, Michelle recently gained a Masters in creative writing, and Cathy completed her drama and English degree in 2013.

Speaking to Hillingdon Times, Cathy, 50, says: “It’s great to be going back there again as a graduate.

“Being a student helped me take control, like getting used to deadlines and working on a lot at any one point- it drove up my mental capacity.

“It can be overwhelming being a student but once you’ve completed something it shows just how much you are capable of.”

She Called Me Mother is Michelle’s first play, and stars Cathy as Evangeline, a homeless woman who works at London Bridge station selling the Big Issue.

The play recounts Evangeline’s life story, starting with her moving to London from her native Trinidad, and focuses on moments that led her to her present day situation, and her longing for home.

On top of writing her debut play, Michelle is also a mother-of-two who currently teaches at a primary school.

“I don't know how she does it. She has an amazing ability to prioritise. I've never even seen her lose her rag. She has an amazing spirit!” said Cathy.

The play is a two-handed piece with Chereen Buckley, who stars alongside Cathy as her estranged daughter Shirley.

Cathy hopes that the story will resonate with people who may take their comparative life of luxury for granted.

“If you’re beaten down and hopeless, everything feels like an uphill battle,” said Cathy.

“You walk past people like Evangeline every day, and no one ever takes the chance to stop and listen to their story.

“I think this play is a good way to discover how someone like her got to where she is.”

She also recounts her time at Brunel, stating how when she left the university and upgraded from a single halls bed to a double.

“When I bought that, I felt like I was sleeping in the Ritz,” she laughed.

“It’s so easy to forget what you have. I want to always be grateful, but unfortunately it’s so easy to forget to be.”

Despite being at Brunel at different times, Michelle and Cathy have been friends since their childhoods in Liverpool.

“I think I was 13 and Michelle was 12 when we first met each other,” said Cathy.

“I always knew she was a writer. I have seen some of her other work and it is fantastic. Though this is the first time we have worked together.”

But it was working together on She Called Me Mother that solidified their decades-long friendship.

“This is the closest we've been in years. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity to work with her,” she said.

Pictures courtesy of Pitch Lake Productions and Cathy Tyson, with thanks