Writers:
Tom Wentworth
Tom is currently under commission to Graeae and Pentabus and has several projects in development with other companies and across mediums. His recent credits include Tightropes (Amplified Theatre), Bee Happy (Old Red Lion) and Windy Old Fossils (Pentabus). When not writing he can mostly be found watching other people’s plays or reviewing them for publications such as Disability Arts Online and Exeunt. He loves working with Graeae because of the boldness and scope of the work they produce. He lives in Cardiff where he likes to work in his favourite coffee shop and treat himself to a slice of cake.
“Write to Play has been an excellent opportunity to develop my skills as a playwright, pushing myself by writing a larger scale play; gaining confidence through the master classes and mentoring. I’ve also gained fantastic access to valuable industry contacts which I hope will help me to sustain my writing career.”
Rosaleen McDonagh
Rosaleen is a Traveller and a feminist. Her work includes The Baby Doll Project, Stuck, She’s Not Mine, and Rings. Rings was performed at VAS in Washington in June 2010. She was shortlisted for the PJ O’ Connor radio play Awards in 2010. Rosaleen has a BA in Biblical & Theological Studies, an MPhil in Ethnic & Racial Studies & an MPhil in Creative Writing, all from Trinity College Dublin. She is currently a PhD candidate in Northumbria University. This November, Fishamble at Project Arts Centre produced her play ‘Mainstream’ as part of its 50th birthday celebrations. Rosaleen also wrote a short piece for Graeae’s What I was Told I Could Be, which premiered at Hampstead Theatre main stage as part of Sphinx Theatre’s Women Centre Stage Festival in November 2016.
“Not in my wildest ambition or imagination did I think I’d be sitting, writing my play Context in the Peggy Ramsay room at the Royal Court.”
Sean Burn
During his time on Write to Play, sean’s last full-length play collector of tears was toured nationally by gobscure, chosen by the British Theatre Guide as North-East Play of the Year 2014 c.e., and published by Aurora Metro.
fill yr gob then speak for maximum effect mixes spoken word with live art to examine erasure of memories. supported by a camden peoples theatre bursary and arc stockton residency this show also features an austerity crutch (only one because hard-working familys allegedly demanded it), coal from Newcastle and a bucket for kicking
Since being on Write to Play and working closely with his mentor Selma Dimitrijevic, sean and their company gobscure have become associates to the Newcastle-based theatre company Greyscale, their latest play joey – a co-production with greyscale theatre opens in the north-east, june 2019 c.e. and then tours.
“write to play’s helped me move on as a playwright, definitely. it’s given me access to a body of critical friends that i didn’t have previously. it’s also provided me with a welcome opportunity to develop flowers of the forest which is bigger and bolder than anything i’ve attempted previously.”
Nicky Werenowska
After a flirtation with playwriting when she was 16 (her play “20%” was runner-up in 1988 Royal Court Young Playwrights’ Competition), Nicola began playwriting in 2003, following her dyspraxia diagnosis. Productions include: Davy’s Day (Mercury, 2004); Peapickers (Eastern Angles, 2007); Freedoms of Ftheorest (Menagerie, 2008); BirthDate (Nabakov, 2012); CASH! (Mercury, 2013); Tu I Teraz (Hampstead, Nuffield, Mercury, 2012/13); Tattooed Under Your Skin (Theatre 503, 2016); Hidden (Oxford Playhouse, Marlowe, Mercury, 2017); Guesthouse (Eastern Angles, 2018).
Her work has been long-listed for national competitions, (Verity Bargate, Bruntwood, Papa Tango) and Hidden was runner up for the Mercury Prize 2016. Nicola has been on attachment to Graeae, a member of the Royal Court National group and is playwright in residence at Lakeside Theatre. She currently has work in development with the New Wolsey Theatre, Graeae, and the Marlowe and is co-writer for BBC Radio 4’s adaptation of Little Dorrit for the 2018/19 Christmas period. Her play Silence will open at the Mercury Theatre in Autumn 2018 before touring nationally.
“At the beginning of this process, I was a playwright in hiding. In hiding from my dyspraxia, in hiding from the person and the writer I am and could be. Now I feel I belong. I don’t have to hide anymore. It’s been life-changing, transformative, beautiful. Thank you everyone.”
Amy Bethan Evans
Since Write to Play, Amy has made the move to London. Her Write to Play placement at Soho Theatre helped her get onto Soho Writers’ Lab, where is now part of the Writers’ Alumni Group. Her Writers’ Lab play, Libby’s Eyes was performed at the Bunker Theatre for the Breaking Out festival and received a write-up in the Times Literary Supplement. Her first professional commission in January 2018 with To Be My Eyes, as part of Theatre 503’s rapid response to the #metoo movement. This piece was extended to a full-length monologue, Tinted, featuring as Extant’s slot at Bloomsbury Festival 2018. Alongside this, Amy has mentored on Extant’s Write Stage project and co-runs their Enhance programme, teaching theatres and companies how to be visually-impaired accessible on a budget. She is on the Pint-Sized Longlist, reads for Graeae and the Finborough and is part of the Bunker’s New Work team, specialising in disabled-led work.
“I am absolutely delighted to have been on Year One of Write to Play. I feel I have become more confident as a person and pushed my writing to places I never thought it would go. Aside from the writing, the working relationships, industry knowledge and insight this programme have brought me have been brilliant.”
Partners:
‘The National Theatre Studio is delighted to be a partner in the Write to Play programme, excited by both the work and with the partnership with Graeae, the Royal Court and Soho Theatre. We hope that the writers that come through the programme will benefit from the inspiring, creative environment of the Studio and look forward to supporting them in developing their work.’
Sarah Murray, Head of Studio, National Theatre Studio
‘I am honoured that the Royal Court will be part of Graeae’s brilliant Write to Play initiative. Any programme that aims to support, develop and nurture D/deaf and disabled writers is vital to the overall health of theatre and a wonderful opportunity to unveil new writers and stories for our audiences.’
Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director, Royal Court Theatre
‘Soho Theatre is delighted to uncover these incredible and unique voices and to be involved in their development. We look forward to supporting them over the next year and into the future, working alongside the fantastic company Graeae. It is a truly great project and we cannot wait to get underway.’ Steve Marmion, Artistic Director, Soho Theatre
Write to Play Year 1 was funded with support from Arts Council England, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, The Big Lottery Fund, The Noel Coward Foundation, The Backstage Trust and The Charter 600 Charity.
