A Season of New Writing West Yorkshire Playhouse and Theatre in the Mill 24 May to 1 June
A Season of New Writing Intro For 10 magical days we are celebrating all things writing at the Playhouse with plays, playfulness, wine, writers, more wine and maybe even a bit of song. You can come see the words come to life at any one of the showcases, plays, or open platforms. You can join in by taking part in date night, a masterclass, an open platform or sending us a short piece of writing (no more than 2 pages A4 and it’s for public display so keep it clean) to literary@wyp.org.uk You’ll be able to see your work on our walls, by going to www.wyp.org.uk/about-us/ourblogs/new-writing or following #writingtheseason on twitter See you there for happy endings, middles and new beginnings…
Date Night
Thursday 24 May 6.30 to 7.30pm West Yorkshire Playhouse Foyer FREE It is the first night of ‘Napoli’ and launch of the season; come celebrate in true romantic style. You submit a brief (100 words) ‘dating profile’ which are collated before the night (e.g. I am a super naturalistic writer with a surreal twist WLTM a director with own company and GSOH.) Everyone is given the profile pack and their name on a sticky label and encouraged to mingle in the bar before the show. Networking is oiled by special offers at the bar. To submit a dating profile contact Alex Chisholm on literary@wyp.org.uk
Napoli
24 to 26 May 7.45pm Tickets £13 (Discounts £3 off) Bea always felt like she never fitted into her life in Yorkshire, felt like she never quite belonged. Then two days ago, her Mother dropped a bombshell. Disorientated by what she’s heard, Bea flees to Italy to try and fit together the pieces of her family’s story. Among the washing lines of the Napoli rooftops, the hidden truths of three generations are revealed. The story stretches across history as the different eras collide, from the war torn decisions of 1944 to the present day. Flying Cloud’s vibrant style mixes technicolour spectacle, movement, music and emotionally charged drama. It aims to excite, entertain and challenge perceptions through inspiring stories from around the world.
Masterclasses A series of FREE masterclasses with leading playwrights and practitioners to hone your skills and inspire your thoughts. These are free but places are limited so book now to ensure your place.
Writing and Devising Fri 25 May, 5 to 6.30pm Leandra Ashton (Artistic Director Flying Cloud, Writer & Director Napoli)
Writing For Young People Mon 28 May, 5 to 6.30pm Natalie Wilson (Artistic Director Theatre Centre)
Beyond Naturalism Wed 30 May, 2 to 5pm Fin Kennedy (Playwright)
From Strangers On A Train Sat 2 June, 11am to 1pm Richard Cameron (Playright). The writer’s journey with character and story from first encounter to final draft. Masterclasses supported by BBC Writersroom
Industry Day
Saturday 26 May, 11am to 2pm West Yorkshire Playhouse Foyer, FREE Companies and organisations around the region set out their stall. This is an opportunity meet with, get advice from and pitch yourself and ideas to industry professionals. Confirmed companies include West Yorkshire Playhouse, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Freedom Studios, BBC Writersroom, Unlimited, Emerge, Northern Bullits, West Yorkshire Theatre Network, Interplay Theatre and Monkeywood Theatre.
Speed dating
Saturday 26 May, 5 to 6.30pm, FREE Networking at breakneck speed. We put writers and directors in a room. Add some refreshment. Shake. To apply for this opportunity send your CV to Alex Chisholm on literary@ wyp.org.uk
Matchmaker
Tuesday 29 May, 7.30pm Tickets £8 (Discounts £6) Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a brilliant new artistic collaboration. We put three pairs of artists together, with some performers and they each come back with 20 minutes of a new play, so you get 1 hour of new theatrical entertainment. This is a chance to see the beginning of beautiful new theatre relationships.
Open platforms
Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30, Thursday 31 May 9 to10pm This is your chance to show and tell. The open platforms are just that, an open space for artists and writers to share; Just us in a room performing, reading, talking about our work. Whether it is something you’ve produced or something you wrote yesterday we’d like to hear it. Cocurated with Dick Bonham of Emerge. To book a slot contact dick@sometimesweplay.co.uk
Is It Time To Get Rid Of New Writing?
Refugee Boy
By Benjamin Zephaniah. Adapted for the stage by Panel Discussion Wednesday 30 May 6 to 7.30pm Lemn Sissay. Directed by Gail McIntyre. Tickets £5 (Discounts £3) Thursday 31 May 7.30pm Over the last 20 years British Tickets £8 (Discounts £6) Theatre has witnessed a phenomenal growth in New Writing. But has New Writing become as much a curse as a blessing. In particular is there a harmful and false division between ‘New Work’ and ‘New Writing’? Is there too much development and not enough productions? Is there a ‘New Writing’ sort of play and is it killing off other kinds of writing? Come discuss these and other matters in a lively debate with:
Suzanne Bell New Writing Associate, Manchester Royal Exchange David Eldridge Playwright Fin Kennedy Playwright Kaite O’Reilly Playwright Dawn Walton Artistic Director, Eclipse Theatre
Alem and his father are in a B&B in Datchet. Alem has lived in Ethiopia and Eritrea but this is his best holiday ever. In the morning Alem’s father is gone, a note explains that his parents didn’t want him to risk his life in the war at home. So they have left him in the UK. A refugee. From care home, to foster home, from school to court, Alem’s journey makes him reach inside himself to find courage to go on and strength to speak out. Benjamin Zephaniah’s inspiring and moving story has been loved by readers young and old since it came out. Now for the first time it reaches the stage in a new adaptation by award winning poet, playwright and performer Lemn Sissay. A work in progress presentation.
So You Want To Be A…Writer? Director? Actor? Friday 1 June 7.30pm Tickets £8 (Discounts £6)
The Playhouse’s So You Want To Be A Writer? course is 9 years old. Over those years it has discovered an array of new talent including Alice Nutter, Dominic Grace, Boff Whalley and Tom Wells. This year it has been expanded to include new directors and new actors who are brought together to create 10 minute plays. So You Want To Be…nights are fun, fast preview of the stars of the future.
Writers-in-residence Throughout the week
A writing season should have writers in residence. So this is what we’ve done. One is going to be appointed from submissions. The other, we are delighted to say, is Fin Kennedy. Fin is an award-winning playwright, whose best known play How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found won the UK’s 2006 John Whiting Award. Other plays include Protection (Soho Theatre, 2003), Unstated (Red Room, 2008), Caesar Price Our Lord (BBC Radio 4, 2008), Locked In and We Are Shadows (Half Moon Theatre, 2006 and 2008 national tours). Fin writes regularly for the Guardian newspaper’s Theatre blogs and teaches playwriting on the MA Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths College, London. The writers will be writing new pieces every day inspired by the season, the theatre and the city of Leeds. You will be able to follow their work on www.wyp. org.uk/about-us/our-blogs/newwriting by reading work displaying in the Newlyn Gallery and in a special showcase on Friday 1 June at 6pm.
The Rain King
by Sarah Wallis Directed by Sam Wood Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 May at 7.30pm Tickets £8 (Discounts £6) Arriving in sub-Saharan Africa, gap year student and part-time Elvis impersonator Aidan has brought with him his principles, his broken heart and his Elvis costume. His supervisor with a Mrs. Robinson complex is Janet, who ran away to Africa 20 years ago and never ran back. And then there is Msoko, Janet’s African fixer, who has her own stories to tell. What secrets are they hiding? Will they find water? Will the goat survive? And will the Rain King ever come? The Rain King asks questions about how we survive, from where the water supply is coming from, to how do we make it from sunrise to sunset each day and what gets us through. A work in progress presentation. Supported by Theatre in the Mill
Rabbitskin
By Dominic Grace Directed by Chris Hill Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June at 7.30pm says everyone’s story’s the “ Cal same. Get born, grow up, get a
job, get wed, have kids, work, get sick, get better, get sick, get better, get sick, die.
I think he’s wrong.
”
Joe can name his twenty favourite authors straight off the top of his head and quote his favourite books perfectly. He’s a master storyteller like his father, a man who can make the ghosts and monsters of Irish legends seem as real as the rabbits he skins and cuts up on the kitchen table. But when Joe tries to tell his own story he finds it difficult to keep on track. All stories must come to an end eventually, but that’s the bit that Joe doesn’t want to tell. Dominic Grace’s new play looks at how easy it is to escape into fiction and how our own stories are sometimes the hardest ones to tell. A work in progress presentation. Supported by Theatre in the Mill.