Director seeks play credit

Pam Brighton answered questions in the witness box

A theatre director has appeared in court to answer questions about her input into a hit play.

Belfast-based Pam Brighton is claiming joint copyright ownership of the play Stones in his Pockets, which until now has been known as the sole work of award-winning playwright Marie Jones.

The production is currently playing in the West End and went on to become a worldwide success.

The case, which began its hearing on Wednesday at the High Court in London, centres on two versions of the play, in 1996 and 1999.

Stones in his Pockets was originally produced by the DubbelJoint Theatre Company in Belfast in 1996.

Ms Brighton said on Thursday that she was generally unaware of the contract between Ms Jones and DubbelJoint.

She said that, at the time, she was not concerned about claiming credit as joint author but merely wanted to make the play a success following an unsuccessful production of Eddie Bottom's Dream.

'Cake'

She likened the creation of Stones in his Pockets to baking a cake.

The theatre director said the two women worked closely together on deciding the ingredients, while Ms Jones' role of writing was like "icing on the cake".

She said that up until 1998, she was very close to Ms Jones and never had an argument or row.

She said: "I have spent a lifetime doing plays and I have never contributed to them to the extent I contributed to Marie's."

Ms Brighton said she did not agree with a statement from the stage manager Niall Cranney that her contribution to the creation of the play was "nothing out of the ordinary".

She said she had made "extraordinary" contribution to the play.

Ms Brighton said she felt her creative contribution to the comedy was "above and beyond what I have ever done" or known any other director to do.

Author Shane Connaughton, whose credits include co-writing the screenplay for the Oscar-winning My Left Foot, also went into the witness box on Thursday.

Belfast playwright Marie Jones is defending the action

Mr Connaughton, 60, from Dublin, a "de facto" director of DubbelJoint for 10 years, said Ms Brighton's creative contribution to Stones In His Pockets was "unique".

Giving evidence on behalf of the theatre company, Mr Connaughton said: "A director working on a new play can contribute in all sorts of ways, but very rarely - except in the case of Stones In His Pockets - does a director actually pick up a pen and write... as happened in this case."

Mr Connaughton told Mr Justice Park that in his opinion his book, A Border Diary, was of relevance to the background of the dispute.

He said he felt after reading the script that his book was "certainly used in the research of the play".

Ms Jones is contesting claims being made against her by Ms Brighton and by the DubbelJoint Theatre Company.

The judge heard on Wednesday that Ms Jones denied that DubbelJoint had suffered any loss and had offered it £1 in damages.

Three years after its original 1996 production, Ms Jones' husband, Ian McElhinney, directed what they say was a substantially rewritten version of the play.

Since its initial run in Belfast, it has been produced all over the world and won a major London award.

The case was adjourned until Friday.