STUART: A LIFE BACKWARDS Makes World Premiere at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, July 31; Then UK Tour

Alexander Masters' Stuart: A Life Backwards, written by Jack Thorne and directed by Mark Rosenblatt, will receive its world premiere on 31 July 2013 at the Underbelly's new Topside venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before touring to Watford and Sheffield. The show will be designed by Jon Bausor.

The production is produced by HighTide Festival Theatre and Sheffield Theatres in association with Watford Palace Theatre, Dumbfounded Theatre, Underbelly and Escalator East to Edinburgh.

Stuart Shorter is a chaotic, violent, motormouth homeless man from Cambridge. Alexander Masters is a reserved, bookish member of the educated middle-classes.Double BAFTA award-winner Jack Thorne's new adaptation tells the story of an unlikely friendship and of Stuart's entire life - told 'backwards'. Thorne said, 'Stuart and Alexander's story is extraordinary. This is the sort of dream project that comes around only once in a while. I only hope we can do the book justice.'

Stuart: A Life Backwards is a novel set in Cambridge that investigates the life of Stuart Shorter, a man who had been repeatedly abused and failed by society and the state throughout his life. He became a unique, attractive, but dangerous adult, who did much to campaign on the issue of homelessness. Alexander knew Stuart, and the novel is a chronicle of their relationship as a prism to Alexander exploring Stuart's life. The book was shortlisted for the Whitbread Book Awards in 2005, and the 2006 Hawthornden Prize.

Jack Thorne is a double BAFTA award-winning playwright and screenwriter, best known for his TV shows Skins, Cast-offs,This is England '86 and The Fades. Jack's theatre work includes winning a Fringe First for Bunny (Edinburgh & Tour) andMydidae (Soho & Trafalgar) He most recently adapted Duerrenmatt's The Physicists for the Donmar in 2012. He also won Best Newcomer at the London Film Festival 2009 for his first film The Scouting Book For Boys.

Director Mark Rosenblatt, Associate Director at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, has directed for Oxford Stage Company, Shakespeare's Globe, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, the Tricycle, The National Theatre and the Watermill and designer Jon Bausor recently designed the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games 2012 and is an associate at the RSC. The play was originally commissioned by the Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Topside, Underbelly, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013

First preview performance: Wednesday 31July 2013

Last Performance Monday 26August 2013

Performance Times: 15.30 daily

Box Office: 0845 545 8252, www.edfringe.com / www.underbelly.co.uk

Watford Palace Theatre

Wednesday 28 - Saturday 31August 2013

Performance Times: 20.00, Sat Mat @ 16.30

Box Office: 01923 225 671, www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Crucible Studio, Sheffield

Thursday 12 September - Public Dress Rehearsal

Thursday 12 - Saturday 28 September

Performance Times: 19.45, Thurs and Sat Mats @ 14.15 (no Thurs mat on Thurs 12^th September)

Box Office: 0114 249 6000, www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk