Swindon playwright Matt Fox has had his productions performed in both London's West End and America, but this month he tries out his latest dark comedy in his home town.

Fred, Ted, Jack and Harold, featuring two Swindon actors Peter Hynds and Molly Campbell, will warm up for their UK tour, including a show at the Cockpit Theatre in London and the Rondo in Bath, at the Arts Centre.

Matt says that he has always had an interest in serial killers, the fascination of people who have respectable fronts, pillars of the community but who are actually the ultimate rebels of society.

"It is uncovering why they opt out of civilisation, and I liked the idea of writing a play about specific people. When the play opens there are these characters, all of the same ilk, working in an office, undergoing the office politics which everyone will recognise, and at the end of the first half they realise with horror who they are and where they are,'' said Matt.

Following the tour, the play will head across the pond to San Francisco and the Shelton Theatre.

"It has quite a British voice and Americans like dark humour, it resonates with them,'' said Matt, who also had his Family Play produced over there in The Shelton.

"We had people from the US come to the Fringe this year. We are transatlantic. In fact we had performances from Brazil, Italy and Serbia as well,'' said Matt, who set up Madam Renards Fringe for alternative and new plays with Jessie Thompson and Becci Smith in 2012.

"It was during a conversation with Barrie Hudson from the Swindon Advertiser that I blurted out the idea, which was still actually in the back of my mind,'' said Matt. He had to put his pen where his mouth was and write and write to make sure the festival got off the ground in time.

Over the years the Fringe has grown and next year they are in talks with the Swindon Festival of Literature to do a cross over.

"It is the arts community coming together and getting bigger and bigger,'' he said.

Matt's own artistic journey was a Billy Elliott style story which began in a dance school in Plymouth, Cornwall.

"I went to a conformist school which was quite repressive so mum enrolled me in the dance class and I loved it, I went willingly and it showed me that you can do as you please and be yourself,'' said Matt.

His own daughter, Poppy, who is 12-years-old asked him to write a play just for her, so he tackled some controversial issues that turned into Family Play. Poppy starred in the UK run of the drama.

Matt admits to being a 'horribly proud father' and is currently finishing a two-hander play called Miracle Pillow which will again star Poppy and Andy Cunningham.

"It is about the nature of old age, the quality of life and euthanasia,'' said Matt.

Another of Matt's plays, To Sleep, was spotted when he was producing it at the Camden Fringe. He was invited to perform it at the Tristan Bates Theatre in the West End.

"It was the theatre that was opened by Alan Bates in tribute to his son, who died at the age of 19. Someone from the theatre had seen To Sleep and they had a space, they needed to fill a gap so a lot of it was just luck,'' said Matt, modestly.

The playwright admits that his plays are like his babies, and while he realises the importance of handing it over to the director and actors once it is written, he is still terrified on opening nights and thrilled when it goes down well.

The curtain will rise on his first night jitters for Fred,Ted, Jack and Harold, directed by Swindon's Olly Webb, at the Swindon Arts Centre, Devizes Road, Old Town on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7 from 7.30pm. Tickets are £15 from 01793 524481 or visit swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison