PLAYWRIGHT Stewart Howson did not take up flotilla sailing holidays in pursuit of fresh writing material but one thing leads to another. Lo and behold, his latest play for NTC Touring Theatre Company is a comedy drama about... a flotilla sailing holiday.

Quay Moments In A Relationship, Monday (27th) night's touring show at the National Centre for Early Music in York, explores the nature of groups, family relationships and the English abroad through the medium of a sailing trip.

"I have been going on these holidays myself, not to collect material but to see Iona and Croatia," says Stewart, who has written plays for York Theatre Royal in the past. "The first year I was very much having a holiday and very much learning to sail, but then when you see someone is heading for trouble on a boat because he's being over-confident, then you can see there's material for a play.

"I realised this form of sailing gave me a situation where I could put three sets of people together: those who sail the lead boat, those who know the ropes and the newcomers - all of them in this world they cannot escape from. They're in a 30ft boat, and there's no room to hide away."

His sailing experiences have provided the opportunity to assemble four elements in one comedy: a holiday, a boat, couples and a group of strangers.

"It's a comedy that starts with people getting things wrong on the boat and then gradually there's another story to be told about why they are there, maybe to escape from something at home, maybe to find themselves," says Stewart.

Situations of potential conflict have been a rich source of humour not only for Stewart but Alan Ayckbourn, Tim Firth and John Godber too.

Ayckbourn's own boating drama, Way Upstream, has been re-launched at the Stephen Joseph Theatre this month for the time since its 1981 premiere; Firth's water-borne comedy drama Neville's Island was revived this summer at York Theatre Royal; and Godber is best known for his physical comedies with small casts playing everything including the kitchen sink.

"John and I both received training in physical theatre at Bretton Hall, where you realise you don't need physical scenery and bare necessity is the mother of set-design invention," says Stewart. "So being a touring company, we'll be using water of the imagination."

NTC Touring Theatre Company presents a second show, The Stars Look Down, on Tuesday. A J Cronin's North Eastern drama depicts a conflict between young pitman Dave Fenwick and coal owner Richard Barras.

Tickets for each 7.30pm show cost £6.50, concessions £5.50, students £3.50, on 01904 658338.

Updated: 10:06 Friday, October 24, 2003