'Plot to kill Cameron' set for theatre

Aug 19 2008 By Emma Heseltine

David Cameron

A lucky escape from a train crash eight years ago inspired an Addlestone man to write a play in which an assassination attempt is made on the life of Tory boss David Cameron.

It took two years for James Murphy (pictured with daughter Melissa) and his friend Ray Newell to finish ‘Call Me Dave’, which starts off with a plot to kill off the Conservative leader.

The play - surprisingly, a comedy – has now been commissioned to be shown at Barnet Theatre in October.

Sixty-year-old James was spurred on to achieve his goals - such as writing the play - after he was aboard a packed commuter train which derailed at Virginia Water. Fortunately no one was hurt.

"But things like that really wake you up to how short life can be," said James,  who lives in Liberty Hall Road.

Speaking about the play, the dad-of-one added: "We wanted to write an adult comedy, and we wanted it to be topical. Ray had already written something similar about John Major, so we used that and introduced new characters and changed the story slightly, and here we are.

"I didn’t expect it to do as well as it has done, but we’ve been getting a lot of interest from theatrical agents, so it’s onwards and upwards for us."

The play features an opportunist lead character, who takes David Cameron to his seedy London bedsit after saving him from would-be assassins. There there politician meets an odd group of tenants and is shown the reality of life on the streets.

He added: "I've never met David Cameron, but I know there’s been some interest from the Conservative MP in Enfield, where Ray lives, so I’m sure he must be aware of it."

The Herald contacted the Tory leader's office but is still waiting for a response.