Essex University professor and Colchester councillor writes play

You would think Professor Peter Higgins had enough strings to his bow.

Well, next week he’s adding playwright to his long list of talents, when the professional premiere of his debut play takes to the Lakeside Theatre stage at Essex University.

Peter, 54, says: “I’ve written books before, but they’ve been maths ones, mainly on algebra. The last one has been published in seven or eight languages, including Arabic, which I’m quite proud of.

“The thing about writing those books is that you still have to make them enjoyable to read and engage with the people who are reading them.”

Surely, writing a play is a bit of a leap from writing a maths book?

“Well it’s fiction for a start,” Peter smiles. “You can’t really go around writing fictionalised maths books – that kind of thing is frowned upon,” he jokes.

“No, it is very different from what I do as a day job. That’s what makes it so exciting.”

Born and brought up in Australia, Peter first came to the UK in 1978. He’s been back and forth ever since, amid stints in California and then back home in Oz.

It was 20 years ago that he settled in Colchester, when he got a lecturing post at Essex University.

In 2005, Peter dreamt up a circular version of the popular number puzzle, Sudoku, called Target Sudoku, which then featured in a national newspaper.

Since 2002, he has been the borough councillor for the New Town ward in Colchester and for the last six years he has been head of the university’s Department of Mathematics, at the Wivenhoe Park Campus.

“It all comes to an end in December,” he says, notably relieved by the prospect. “A head of department usually just does a three-year term because of the work involved, so it’s unusual for someone to do six.

“From January, I start a two year research post. I’m hoping that might lead to a little bit more time to do some writing.”

Peter’s play, Last Requests, is set in the living room of a young couple who are listening to a radio request show. It’s when one particular request is broadcast that Peter’s simple and affecting mystery unfolds.

Directed by the Mercury’s Gari Jones, who was at the helm for the recent Pinter double bill at the Colchester theatre, it was first staged by an amateur troupe in Australia in 2008.

Peter adds: “I’ve always liked the format of a play. The whole structure of a script appealed to me. It’s immediate and natural. I certainly couldn’t imagine writing a novel.

“The script has been altered and extended just a little since then, but not very much.

“The idea came out of the blue, really, and that’s what I liked about it. I thought it was a very simple but original idea and I got down to writing it straight away. It took me about two days and that draft is not that much different to the one people will see next week.”

Last Requests is being shown as part of a double bill of plays, which also includes Brace by Mossycoat Productions, a theatre company formed while its members were at Essex University.

Written by Catherine Pugh, who studied a masters degree in theatre studies at the university, it’s about a relationship between an amnesia sufferer and her carer.

l Brace and Last Requests is at the Lakeside Theatre, Essex University, from December 1 to 3 at 7.30pm nightly.

Tickets are £9, £6 for concessions and £4 for students, available from the box office on 01206 873288 or online at www.essex.ac.uk/artson5