A bag of drugs, a failing school, and three teachers faced with a choice they really shouldn’t make – that’s the set-up for Pot Licker, a sharp new dark comedy coming to Swindon Arts Centre on 16 September.
The play follows Rich, Kris and Zara, who stumble across the illicit stash in the school’s lost property. The obvious solution would be to hand it straight to the authorities. But with the future of their school hanging in the balance, they begin to wonder: could there be another way?
Written and directed by Ed Viney, Pot Licker is a two-act, three-hander that mixes caustic humour with moments of suspense and frail humanity. Fresh from a successful debut tour in the spring, the production is now hitting the road again, bringing its blend of heist-movie tension and staffroom banter to audiences across the South West and beyond.
Viney, who taught in Bristol schools before training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the National Theatre Directors’ Course, says his time in education was a key inspiration:
“I wanted to write a play that’s similar to a heist movie – you don’t get that much in theatre. Our experience of school is so formative to the rest of our life, it’s brilliant for drama. This promises to be a super-charged, highly entertaining evening. I really hope it can lead to more small-scale professional theatre touring in the way that stand-up comedy and music does across the South West.”
The play has already drawn praise, with Bath Echo calling it:
“A thoroughly engaging blend of caustic humour, suspense and frail humanity. Perfect for lovers of thrillers … and devious teachers!”
Viney is no stranger to acclaim, having previously received a Four Nations Award from Creative Scotland and a Peggy Ramsay Award, as well as serving as assistant director at the RSC.
Pot Licker is set to deliver a night of fast-paced comedy, risky decisions and razor-sharp writing – one that will resonate with anyone who has ever faced impossible choices at work.
Venue information: Swindon Arts Centre, 16th September 2025 at 7.30pm
Box office: https://trafalgartickets.com/swindon-arts-centre/ or 0343 310 0040
Tickets: Adults £18, Friends £16
