A new play exploring the reasons why some teenage children start taking drugs will run at the Phoenix Theatre from September 22nd to September 29th. Local playwright Ian Pauley's latest work, Poppy Appeal, was commissioned by the Lifebuoy Charitable Trust. His remit was to highlight the breakdown of relationships between parents and their teenage children which can encourage the children to embark on a career of drug-taking that leads to addiction. Ian said: "Everyone is swift to condemn drugs as a malign influence in modern society, and rightly so, but few question why people, teenagers in particular, become addicted; and it is this approach that Ian has adopted for the drama." The cast consists of Mum and Dad whose marriage is going through a rough patch, their daughter Angeline and Dean, whose mother died less than a year ago. "Poppy Appeal is a bitter sweet love story about two teenagers who see the world from a flawed perspective. It is also about a marriage in crisis with the parents not seeing what effect their behaviour is having on their child. What I wanted to do was to write a piece that would contain as much for parents as it does for teenagers." The piece is full of drama but there are some lighter moments too, however the play is not suitable for anyone under fourteen. Tickets are available from the theatre box office, which is open 10.30am -12.30pm or from the Heritage centre from 10.30-4.30pm.