THIRD Finger, Left Hand is Adam Canavan's first play.

Through the support of York Theatre Royal, his playwriting career is up and running at the age of 40.

"The Theatre Royal has been very important; it's played a major part in the play coming to fruition," says the Preston-born writer, whose family drama about two sisters growing up in the 1970s is being given its first run in its full form in York.

"When I did the first couple of drafts in 2003 and handed them to Amanda Daniels, of Nine Lives Productions, we were just thinking of it as a means for me to start writing and as a project for Amanda to perform, maybe as a vehicle for pub theatre."

After Amanda showed the first ten pages to theatre director Sonia Fraser, Sonia asked which woman had written it, only to be told it was by Dermot, Adam's stage name. "Sonia said it would be a good idea to send it to Damian Cruden, who she knew well from working at the Theatre Royal. Within a short time, I was invited up to do a week's workshop, which was unbelievable."

Adam was thrilled. "A lot of theatres just don't have the facilities or the guts to do that, but the Theatre Royal did," he says. "At that time, my writing consisted of the 25 pages I'd sent to York. I'd dabbled in writing after doing panto for two years in Preston, and I thought I'd have a go at writing for the broker's men and the dame's routines. But as for writing a full-blown play, no, never."

The week's workshop in York proved hugely beneficial. "Every evening I would sit at my laptop and write and write and write with renewed confidence and the play would change each day. I don't know any up-and-coming writers who have been as fortunate as I have; I can't thank York Theatre Royal enough."

The play made its debut at last summer's Edinburgh Fringe and is now running in the Theatre Royal's Studio until June 4. Adam, meanwhile, is both writing and performing, at present appearing in Torben Betts's black comedy The Incarcerator and putting the finishing touches to his own new play, A Bear At My Table. The subject: the jobs he and Amanda Daniels have to take when not acting.

Hopefully from now on, that will be more writing. He has a play on the boil about the priesthood, "being a good catholic boy from Preston", and two or three more are at the planning stage. "I should love it if York Theatre Royal could have a slot for me maybe once a year," Adam says.

For tickets, ring 01904 623568.

Updated: 16:47 Thursday, May 26, 2005