VIBRANT 2015
A FESTIVAL OF FINBOROUGH PLAYWRIGHTS
A FESTIVAL OF FINBOROUGH PLAYWRIGHTS
Dubailand explores the complexities of identity and belonging in a fantastical setting. The Halting delves into the emotional and psychological impacts of a traumatic event. Displaced tells the story of individuals grappling with displacement and the search for home. P45 examines the challenges of navigating the modern workplace and the implications of redundancy. The Abundant Everlasting reflects on the nature of abundance and what it truly means to have enough. Te Karakia investigates cultural identity and the interplay between tradition and modernity. Anti Matter presents a thought-provoking narrative about the consequences of scientific experimentation. Honest Poverty addresses the realities of financial hardship and social disparity. Close To Home explores familial relationships and the dynamics of home. Acceptance tackles the journey of coming to terms with one's identity and past. The Gift reveals the transformative power of generosity and the connections it fosters. Lost At Sea chronicles the search for self amidst feelings of isolation and uncertainty.
About The Play
About The Play
Albert Belz
Chris Dunkley
Amy Evans
Jonathan Gillis
Alan Harris
Steven Hevey
Natalie Mitchell
Carmen Nasr
Amy Ng
Felix O’Brien
Joy Wilkinson
Morna Young
THE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Week One – 25–28 October 2015
Sunday, 25 October 2015 at 7.30pm – Dubailand by Carmen Nasr.
Directed by Stephen Whitson.
Monday, 26 October 2015 at 7.30pm – The Halting by Amy Evans.
Directed by Suba Das.
Tuesday, 27 October 2015 at 3.00pm – Displaced by Natalie Mitchell.
Directed by Alex Thorpe.
Thursday, 29 October 2015 at 3.00pm – P45 by Steven Hevey.
Directed by Harry Mackrill.
Week Two – 1–5 November 2015
Sunday, 1 November 2015 at 7.30pm – The Abundant Everlasting by Chris Dunkley.
Directed by Chelsea Walker.
Monday, 2 November 2015 at 7.30pm – Te Karakia by Albert Belz.
Directed by Andrew Twyman.
Tuesday, 3 November 2015 at 3.00pm – Anti Matter by Joy Wilkinson.
Directed by Carla Kingham.
Thursday, 5 November 2015 at 3.00pm – Honest Poverty by Felix O’Brien.
Directed by Joshua McTaggart.
Week Three – 8–12 November 2015
Sunday, 8 November 2015 at 7.30pm – Close To Home by Jonathan Gillis.
Directed by Tommo Fowler.
Monday, 9 November 2015 at 7.30pm – Acceptance by Amy Ng.
Directed by Rebecca Manson Jones.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015 at 3.00pm – The Gift by Alan Harris.
Directed by George Perrin.
Thursday, 12 November 2015 at 3.00pm – Lost At Sea by Morna Young.
Directed by Liz Carruthers.
Now in its seventh consecutive year, the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre – the coalface of British Theatre – presents its annual explosion of new writing – Vibrant 2015 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights, running on Sunday and Monday evenings and Tuesday and Thursday matinees between 25 October–12 November 2015.
This year’s festival features an eclectic and idiosyncratic selection of twelve staged readings of twelve new works by a dozen UK and international playwrights, both established and new, all discovered, developed or championed by the Finborough Theatre.
Concentrated solely on full length works for the stage, this year’s Vibrant 2015 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights includes playwrights from England, Scotland, Wales, the United States and New Zealand. As always we strive to be as diverse as possible, and this year’s festival once again features 50% female playwrights, together with work from African-American, East Asian, British-Lebanese, British-Israeli and Māori playwrights.
To ensure our work remains accessible to all, accompanying this year’s Vibrant Festival is a new initiative for writers who have never previously submitted work to the Finborough Theatre – Introduce Yourself. Please see below for full details.
A unique opportunity to see behind the scenes at one of the UK’s most exciting theatres as we continue to discover and develop tomorrow’s plays today, brought to life by some of the UK’s most talented actors and directors.
Since our first festival in 2009, our Vibrant festivals have included nearly 100 new plays, 21 of which have gone on to full productions at the Finborough Theatre including Mirror Teeth by Nick Gill, The Man by James Graham, And I And Silence by Naomi Wallace, Black Jesus by Anders Lustgarten, Carthage by Chris Thompson, Nona Shepphard and Craig Adams’ musical version of Thérèse Raquin and two plays in this Autumn Season – This Heaven by Nakkiah Lui and The Sweethearts by Sarah Page. Plays that went on to be produced by other theatres have included Bull by Mike Bartlett at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, and The Stock Da’Wa by David Eldridge at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs.
Despite remaining completely unsubsidised, the Finborough Theatre has an unparalleled track record of discovering new playwrights who go on to become leading voices in British theatre. Under Artistic Director Neil McPherson, it has discovered some of the UK’s most exciting new playwrights including Laura Wade, James Graham, Mike Bartlett, Chris Thompson, Jack Thorne, Alexandra Wood, Al Smith, Nicholas de Jongh and Anders Lustgarten, and directors including Blanche McIntyre, Robert Hastie and Sam Yates.
Vibrant 2015 – A Festival of Finborough Playwrights is again curated by Finborough Theatre Artistic Director Neil McPherson, winner of The Writers’ Guild Award for the Encouragement of New Writing, and twice winner of the OffWestEnd Award for Best Artistic Director.
More Detail
Crew
Director
Liz Carruthers, Suba Das, Tommo Fowler, Rebecca Manson Jones, Carla Kingham, Harry Mackrill, Andrew Twyman, Joshua McTaggart, George Perrin, Alex Thorpe, Chelsea Walker and Stephen Whitson.
Producer
Amanda Castro for the Finborough Theatre
Curated by
Finborough Theatre Artistic Director Neil McPherson
Supported by:
Oberon Books
The Richard Carne Trust
Hogarth Estates
Samuel French
Royal Victoria Hall Foundation