STANDBY FOR TAPE BACK-UP Comes to The Marlowe Studio, March 20

The true story of one man's journey into synchronicity and madness comes to The Marlowe Studio, Canterbury, later this month (March).

Standby For Tape Back-Up is written and performed by Ross Sutherland. After a hard-drive crash and a near-death experience, Sutherland found himself house-bound with only one thing for company: an old videotape that once belonged to his granddad.

Over the months that followed, he memorized every second of the tape, Slowly, he learnt how to manipulate the images into telling the story of his life. The videotape allowed Sutherland to open a dialogue with his late grandfather, and eventually helped him confront the illness that had nearly ended his life.

Sutherland said: "Two years ago, I found a videotape in my loft. On it: one and a half films, one quiz show and two sit-coms. Somehow, it became the story of my life."

Sutherland is a poet, theatre-maker and Time Out award winner. Recent projects include Comedian Dies In The Middle Of Joke (Pleasance Edinburgh, BAC, Tobacco Factory Theatre) and Hinterland (Forest Fringe, Hide & Seek).

He has released several poetry collections (published by Penned in the Margins) and is currently developing projects with the BFI and the NT Studio.

Standby For Tape Back-Up is presented by Show and Tell, an award-winning production company supporting a host of comedians and theatre-makers, including Tony Law, Josie Long, Tortoise In A Nutshell, Simon Munnery and Ben Moor.

Standby for Tape Back-up completed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014. It is at The Marlowe Studio at 8pm on Friday 20 March. Tickets cost £12 (concessions available; booking fee applies) from the Box Office on 01227 787787 or marlowetheatre.com.