Profile
I am a playwright, teacher, dramaturg and academic.
I studied Creative and Performing Arts at Newcastle Polytechnic in the 1980s, and obtained my PGCT in Teaching (Secondary, Drama) from Goldsmiths College in 1988. I completed my PhD in Playwriting at the University of Essex in 2020.
I taught Playwriting at the University of Essex, the University of Greenwich and Leeds Trinity, before joining Central in 2017 – first as a Visiting Lecturer and, since 2022, as a Lecturer on the BA Writing for Performance.
Prior to this, I taught Creative Writing at Idea Stores Tower Hamlets from 2012-2016; I was a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the University of Greenwich and Bromley-By-Bow Centre/UEL, 2007-2016; and I was a Royal Literary Fund Reading Round Lector in Harlow and Tower Hamlets, 2014-2017.
Patron, Razed Roof Inclusive Theatre Company, Harlow Playhouse.
Playwriting advisor/dramaturg Theatre of Debate, London.
CHASE funded PhD candidate.
2023, Theatre 503 Silent Approach Masterclass: Introductory Talk for Separate Doors
2021/2022, Masterclass: Derby Theatre and Chichester Theatre, writing for learning-disabled led theatre (for Separate Door’s Writing Tomorrow’s Theatre project).
July 2018, Hand in Hand? Writing and Performance-Making in Learning Disability Theatre: a symposium hosted by University of Essex and supported by CHASE, Convenor, and introductory lecture.
April 2018, Addressing Access: Widening Participation Conference. Gave talk about writing for learning-disabled led theatre.
December 2017, CHASE Encounters Conference. Gave talk about my research in writing for learning-disabled led theatre
June 2017, University of Essex Lifts Department: PhD Conference. Gave talk about my research in learning-disabled led theatre.
Various Arts Council awards/funding over my 30 plus years career in playwriting, including a substantial Arts Council award for my musical Goodbye Barcelona co-written with Karl Lewkowicz.
Areas of Expertise
- Learning-disabled led theatre
- Applied theatre
- Playwriting
External Practice
I have been a playwright since the late 1980s. My work has been produced in many venues including Uganda (Royal Court), Scary Play (National Theatre Connections), and the musical Goodbye Barcelona written with Karl Lewkowicz (Arcola Theatre, Teatre del Raval, Barcelona). I am a playwright and writing advisor for Theatre of Debate (ToD) who produce plays and educational programmes exploring issues of health and science. I have written several plays for ToD, most recently two online monologues, Important Person and Hugs, for the Theatre of Debate/National Institute of Health Research (UK) initiative ‘Covid and Me’.
I have taught playwriting in myriad places and spaces, including Turkey and Brazil (both British Council funded), for Clean Break theatre company in London, and for the Arvon Centre, Scotland.
I am also patron and playwright for Razed Roof Inclusive Theatre Company, working with people with learning disabilities. I have written five plays with the company including Trisomy 21, which premiered at Harlow Playhouse Theatre in 2018 and formed part of my PhD studies.
I am New Writing Associate for Separate Doors, a new organisation working to increase the representation of people with learning disabilities in theatre, film and TV.
Published Plays
1993. Somewhere, in ‘Frontline Intelligence Volume 1’ (London: Methuen)
1995. Stone Moon, in ‘Making Scenes 1’ (London: Methuen)
1995 Uganda in ‘Frontline Intelligence Volume 3’ (London: Methuen)
2004. The Willow Pattern in ‘Shell Connections New Plays for Young People’ (London: Harper Collins)
2004. The Willow Pattern (Assembly Version) (Edinburgh: Barrington Stoke)
2005. The Willow Pattern (London: Harper Collins)
2006. Every Breath (London: Oberon)
2007. Scary Play in NT Connections New Plays for Young People (London: Faber/NT)
2007. Scary Play (London: Harper Collins)
Recent Productions
2023 (Dramaturg) Directing Tomorrow’s Theatre, Separate Doors
2022 (Playwright) Uncle’s Tooth, Theatre of Debate and Leeds University School of Dentistry.
2021/22 (Dramaturg) Writing Tomorrow’s Theatre, Separate Doors
January 2021 (Playwright) Hugs, online monologue commissioned by the National Institute of Health Research and Theatre of Debate
July 2020 (Playwright) Important Person, online monologue commissioned by the National Institute of Health Research and Theatre of Debate.
2019 (Playwright) Don’t Smile, Theatre of Debate and Leeds University School of Dentistry, winner of a Public Engagement with Research Award.
2018 (Playwright) Trisomy 21, Razed Roof at Harlow Playhouse.
Register of Interest
Nothing to declare.
Important Person, an online monologue written for Theatre of Debate and the National Institute of Health Research
Image gallery
