For a lot of people, the idea of winning the lottery would be a dream come true, but a new play that has come to New Theatre Cardiff might just prove that it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The Syndicate, based on the series written by the late and great Kay Mellor, follows the lives of five people from Leeds, Yorkshire, whose lives are changed forever after winning a share of £24m. Prior to going to see the show, which has been directed by Gaynor Faye (daughter of Kay Mellor), I was already a fan of the original BBC series and genuinely thought that Mellor was one of the UK's best writers.
I remember sitting down to watch when it aired in 2012, attracted by the thought of winning the lottery. Considering that was 12 years ago my memory was a little fuzzy about the story as a whole – which was good because this stage play serves as a brilliant recap. Much like many of Mellor’s other television series, The Syndicate play features a strong northern cast – and they all put in grounded performances.
Gaynor plays Kay, the energetic Lottery Winner Advisor who's there to assist the winners on the huge life changes that winning such a cash prize bring. READ MORE: Strictly winner Ellie Leach on 'scary' career move after Coronation Street exit READ MORE: Nye review: I went to see Michael Sheen's new play and it showed me just how special the NHS is - and the man behind it Arguably the two characters with the most stage-time are Stuart and Jamie, brothers who go to great len.