BRITAIN: A theatre director who claims she should be credited as the joint author of the West End hit Stones In His Pockets told the High Court in London yesterday that she had made an "extraordinary" contribution to the play.
Ms Pam Brighton, giving evidence on the second day of her legal claim against award-winning writer Marie Jones, said she felt her creative contribution to the comedy was "above and beyond" what she had ever done or known any other director to do.
Mr Justice Park has to rule on whether the play is the sole work of Ms Jones or whether Belfast-based Ms Brighton should be credited as the joint author of what has become one of Ireland's most successful stage plays.
Ms Jones and Ms Brighton were two of the founders in 1991 of the DubbelJoint Theatre Company in Belfast, where Stones In His Pockets was first performed in 1996. Ms Brighton is claiming damages or an account of profits for alleged infringement of copyright and an injunction requiring her to be credited as joint author of the play.
Although a royalties payment to DubbelJoint of £29,684.89 has been made and an undertaking by Ms Jones has been offered to ensure that the company is properly credited as the first performer of the play, DubbelJoint is still seeking an account of royalties due and an inquiry as to damages in relation to Ms Jones's "failure to ensure a proper credit for DubbelJoint".
Stones In His Pockets is currently playing at London's New Ambassadors Theatre. - (PA)