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Collaborating on The Cord: Dr Jess Heron & Bijan Sheibani

Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Our Plays, The Bigger Picture

Dr Jess Heron, founder and CEO of National perinatal mental health charity, Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP), and acclaimed writer and director, Bijan Sheibani, collaborated on research for his new play The Cord, that follows a family struggling to navigate the postpartum period. “APP, which began as a research panel, now supports women and families…

BUSHCYLING: How we’re improving our sustainability, one stage set at a time

Thu 23 Nov 2023 | Our Plays, The Bigger Picture

When you watch a new show at the Bush, you’re seeing a brand new set every time… or are you?  Putting on a production can use a lot of resources: from energy for lights to purchasing costumes and furniture to the timber needed to build sets and scenery, so we try to reuse materials as…

“I keep coming back to sex and death – but, you know, in a fun way.” Meet Marcelo Dos Santos

Thu 02 Nov 2023 | Our People, Playwriting

With a day to go until Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen bursts onto our stage, we caught up with writer Marcelo Dos Santos to get the inside scoop on his inspirations for the play and how it feels to, as he says, “put it all out there”. “I’m inspired by…

The Student Guide to Playwriting | Winner’s Blog #4

Sat 04 Jun 2016 | Playwriting

The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting winners are busy at work on their winners’ play, which will be performed on Playwriting Day at London Writers Week on 5 July and published by Oberon Books.

Inspired by the theme of the competition, the winners’ play will be on the theme of what it means to be a student in the UK today – with funding changes, a decline in student numbers studying drama, the cancellation of the A level in creative writing and a debate about EBACC and whether it should include creative subjects scheduled for July 4th in parliament, it felt like an important subject.

Here’s our fourth winner’s interview, this time with Mufaro Makubika, joint emerging/general winner. 

1. Can you tell us about who you are?

I’m a playwright living in Nottingham.

2. Why did you follow the lesson plans and enter The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting?

This was a great opportunity to learn about craft from highly respected industry figures.

3. What does winning The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting mean to you?

It’s a fantastic honour. To me, all a playwright wants to do is get their work out and work more.

4. The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting is about studying playwriting (via the lesson plans), why do you think studying’s important?

I think studying is time spent figuring out things, whatever that may be. Playwriting, to me, is time figuring stories out and trying to make them work.

5. What do you think being a student or emerging artist in playwriting in the UK means today?

This is tricky. There is a lot of talent and passion out there. We all want our work our work read and produced. Sometimes talent and passion can take you so far. Sometimes the difference is just luck. Is that too simplistic?

6. What do you think students and emerging artists in playwriting need?

Time and a support network to write. With the current climate of cuts to the arts sector it seems almost like an indulgent request. Unfortunately, there is no other way.

7. What are your top tips for other emerging playwrights?

Write. If you want to do this nothing I or anyone else says will change that. Writing is a process and sometimes a very difficult one at that. Figure yours out. Try to enjoy it as much as you can. The feeling of having written is a marvellous thing.

8. What inspires you?

People and their hearing their stories. If you I tell you my story, will you tell me yours?

Many thanks and congratulations to The Student Guide to Writing: Playwriting winner Mufaro Makubika!