Earlier this year, we invited all those who took part in WrAP2020 (our January playwriting challenge), to apply for our brand new writer development programme – London Playwrights 2020. Selected writers are offered a year of development, including masterclasses and dramaturgical support, culminating in a rehearsed reading in London.
We were overwhelmed with the quality of the submissions, there were so many exciting ideas and unique writing voices – it was hard to believe these plays had been developed in just a month! It was therefore super difficult to narrow it down to just four writers – but we’re pleased to say, we did, and we’re so excited about the plays we will be developing!
We’ll keep you posted throughout the London Playwrights 2020 programme and plan to create some exciting content so that we can share the journey with you. And of course, we hope you’ll join us in December to see the finished plays. In the meantime, we’d like to introduce you to our London Playwrights 2020…
Ayse Evans – Dogma
Ayse is an actor/playwright with her roots on the Isle of Wight. In the last year she has developed her writing skills with the National Youth Theatre and The Royal Court, as well as currently working with Mrs C’s collective. Ayse‘s work aims to make you laugh and cry in equal measures, and hopefully have you talking all the way home.
Gemma Lawrence – Rewild
Gemma is a writer and actor. A scene from REWILD was performed at the Talos Science Fiction Theatre Festival at the Omnibus Theatre. An extract from Sundown was shortlisted for Pint-Sized’s October Fest. Her short play Ribbons was performed as part of Bloom Theatre’s SAPLINGS at the Lion & Unicorn, and she was selected for Theatre503’s Rapid Write Response to MEAT with her play straight vodka. As an actor, she has performed at the National Theatre, the Young Vic, the Orange Tree Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. TV credits Luther, Silent Witness and Shakespeare and Hathaway.
Sally Reichardt – Lee
Sally is a writer and actor from London. Having trained at East 15, she has written and performed a one-woman show called Motion and also enjoys writing and performing spoken word poetry.
Claire Seeber – Hot Mess
Claire Seeber was born and bred in SE London. After a stab at being a (bad) actress, she directed factual TV for years, before starting to write the 1st of six psychological thrillers (including the best-selling Never Tell and The Stepmother), as well as features for newspapers such as The Guardian & Independent. In the past decade, having faced a few traumas of her own, she also trained as a Gestalt therapist, and enjoys seeing clients alongside her writing. In her spare time, Claire mainly wrangles a brood of animals and feral kids (her own, she hastens to add!).
Shortlisted writers
We’d like to give a mention the writers who made the shortlist. We were really impressed and excited by all of these plays and we’re very much hoping to create further development opportunities for these scripts. Watch this space!
Elle Van Lil – Canned
Lekha Desai Morrison – Tweety
Laurel Green – Choosing Life
Sam Chittenden – Unsanctioned
Jonny Kemp – Upstage Downstage
Caterina Incisa – How to Train the Perfect Woman