The Writers
One of the unique features of the course is the opportunity to listen to advice from some of the country’s most successful playwrights. They may not always agree with each other, but they always have something interesting to say about the subject under discussion.
Listen to:
Alan Plater
Alan Plater was a prolific playwright, TV writer and adaptor and screenwriter. His plays include Close the Coalhouse Door (with Alex Glasgow), Peggy For You and The Blonde Bombshells of 1943. He also wrote The Biderbecke Trilogy for TV and adapted Keep The Aspidistra Flying and Fortunes Of War.
Sadly, since recording his interview for beaplaywright.com, Alan Plater died in June 2010. Live Theatre is proud of its association with Alan and is extremely grateful for his help with this project.
Lee Hall
Lee Hall is the Tony winning and Oscar nominated author of Billy Elliot. He has also written The Pitmen Painters, Cooking with Elvis and Wittgenstein on Tyne for Live Theatre. He has also written extensively for film, television and radio.
Shelagh Stephenson
Shelagh Stephenson is an Olivier award winning playwright whose work includes Five Kinds Of Silence, The Memory of Water, An Experiment With An Air Pump and, most recently, A Northern Odyssey.
Polly Stenham
Polly Stenham has written That Face and Tusk Tusk for the Royal Court. She won the 2007 Evening Standard's Charles Wintour Award, and the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright.
Nick Grosso
Nick Grosso’s plays include Peaches (also a film), Sweetheart, Real Classy Affair and Kosher Harry. His latest play Ingredient X was produced by The Royal Court in 2010.
Anthony Neilson
Anthony Neilson is a writer/director whose work includes The Lying Kind, Stitching, Penetrator, Realism and The Wonderful World of Dissocia. He has recently been a Literary Associate with the RSC.
From two leading theatre practitioners, watch exclusive video of award-winning writers including Lee Hall (Billy Elliot, Cooking With Elvis & The Pitmen Painters) and be part of a community of aspiring playwrights
