Rainbird : The Tragedy of a Painter

Peter Mortimer’s new full-length play has its world premiere at The Exchange Theatre North Shields for the full week beginning Monday April 23rd 2018. Rainbird is based on the life of the North Shields artist Victor Noble Rainbird who before the First World War was seen as one of the most talented artists in the region and was the only northerner accepted for the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1911, where he won various awards and prizes.

Rainbird’s war experiences badly marked him and he ended up alcoholic, selling his paintings for liquor in North Shields hostelries. He died in poverty and obscurity at the age of 48 and for 80 years was buried in a pauper’s grave in Preston Cemetery North Shields.Recent interest in his work raised more than £6,000 for a proper headstone and The Old Low Light, North Shields has staged two recent exhibitions of Rainbird’s work. This book contains the full tex, rehearsal photos, cast list and a foreword by the author. The play its produced by the North Tyneside based Cloud Nine Theatre Company and directed by Neil Armstrong.