Playwright and Marlowe Theatre Dramaturg Leo Butler on the Writers’ Room Festival
Here at ET we’re always eager to hear about emerging creatives from far afield, so we were particularly excited to learn that this July the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is hosting a six day event showcasing new talent. The Marlowe Writers’ Room Festival is being hosted at the Marlowe Theatre, where we were able to ask Playwright and Marlowe Theatre Dramaturg Leo Butler what to expect.
Hello Leo. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about this brilliant event, which really does seem to include everything theatre! What inspired you to put it together initially?
Because Canterbury is bursting with incredible writing talent – it was less “should we do it?” but more “we have to do it!”. As Dramaturg, I’ve been running the Marlowe’s Writers’ Room for two years and have worked with many great emerging playwrights along the way. Under Deborah Shaw’s guidance, it’s always been our intention to present new work as part of the Marlowe’s programme, and a festival seemed the most appropriate and exciting way of doing it. Showcasing new local talent alongside work from further afield (with plays by Holly Robinson, Peter Rose and Tolu Okanlawon) is also intentional. As much as the Marlowe values local talent, we’re not shy of reaching beyond borders. New writing has been in a state of crisis for a few years, and we believe that we can not only be instrumental in changing the culture here in Kent, but across the rest of the UK too. The festival is just the beginning.
How did you choose the participants for the festival?
We discovered Peter Rose, Tolu Okanlawon and Holly Robinson through the Marlowe’s monthly script meetings – which we call the Readers’ Room. The Readers’ Room invites members of staff from departments across the building to read plays from both unknown and established writers and decide if we think any of them would be a good fit for the theatre. Shooters, Match Book and Seaburn are seriously good plays. Amy Rosenthal’s brilliant Party Girls – which premieres in the main house in September – came out of that process too.
As for the play readings, the eight writers all took part in one of my twelve-week Introduction to Playwriting courses that I run throughout the year. Fifty plays were submitted at the end of our first course and these eight plays were selected from that batch. As soon as we read them – even at first draft – it was clear we’d been blessed with eight examples of genuine, original talent and we had to do something with them. Since September last year, I’ve been meeting with the eight writers once a week to read and dissect each play through several drafts. As a group they have, understandably, grown very close. I think they’re exceptionally gifted and it’s been a pleasure to help them build a play from a random idea to a polished, final draft.
What kind of productions can we expect to see?
We have teamed the writers with some wonderful actors and directors who have worked in some of the best theatres in the country. They have one day’s rehearsal, so it’s a bit like a rock gig – which, for me, is the best kind of theatre. We may not have a fancy set or special effects, but there’ll be plenty of passion and energy (which is even better).
As for the content of the plays … just drop in and be surprised! Every play is completely different. You could come along one night and see a play set in 1950’s Harlem, and the next day see a play set on Margate Beach. There are murder mysteries, dream-like mind-benders, gut-wrenching accounts of loss, political wake-up calls, nostalgic love-letters to the past, and even a heartfelt drama set in a promenade gardening shed.
We’re also very proud that these writers have such diverse backgrounds. Some are in their 20’s, some are in their 60’s – who says that ‘new’ must mean ‘young’? Or that a writer can’t be working class? For some, this is their first time ever writing a play! And yes, it’s great that we’re showcasing so many brilliant female playwrights too.
Apart from plays there are additional events such as workshops taking place – can you tell us about those?
Yes, we have some great accompanying workshops and talks.
The brilliant Charlie Josephine is leading a workshop about writing plays from personal experience, while the equally brilliant playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti is coming along to share her insight on writing adaptations. We have Sophia Hurdley, from Matthew Bourne’s world-famous New Adventures, leading a very exciting practical workshop on storytelling through choreography, while Giles Smart of United Agents will give sound advice on that knotty challenge of ‘how to get an Agent’.
Meanwhile, stellar theatre-maker Lucy Wray will invite us to consider how theatre (especially playwriting) can help tackle the Climate Emergency, and our fabulous Party Girls writer, Amy Rosenthal, will be dropping in to talk about how she wrote her provocative new play about the Mitford Sisters.
Writer/Director team Julia Grogan and Rachel Lemon are coming along to share their thoughts on fostering creative partnerships, and I’m leading a stupidly ambitious one-day workshop to help you write ‘a play in a day’.
I think there’s something for everyone. Obviously, if you’re already interested in playwriting or theatre-making, you’d be mad to miss it. But also, if you’ve never written anything before, or just fancy coming along to try something new, I can guarantee you’ll have a great time.
What impact do you think this festival will have for the local creative community and for the Marlowe Theatre itself?
It’s all about ripples isn’t it? Inspiring good work from good work. In these dark days, we need art and creativity – whether that’s Netflix or a Writers’ Room Festival – to stop us going mad, to give us hope. It’s soul-food. To put plays from local talent alongside the Marlowe’s year-long programme of world-class shows is an important gesture to those who may be sitting in a bedroom somewhere with a blank page and a head full of ideas or something important to say. Yes, the Festival is here to celebrate and share the brilliant work of these new writers, but it’s also about inspiring and advancing the creative scene here in Canterbury too.
You’re also keen to ensure everyone has the chance to attend. Can you tell us about your ticketing options?
Our Senior Producer, Millie Brierley, and I felt very strongly that the shows and workshops should be accessible to all. We’re in a cost-of-living crisis and there are challenges with ticket prices across the whole of the theatre sector, so it’s great to be offering a pay-what-you-can policy across the whole week. But get booking, as tickets are going fast!
Thanks very much to Leo for taking the time to tell us about this amazing opportunity. The Marlowe Writers’ Room Festival takes place at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from Tuesday 22 to Sunday 27 July. More details about the event and tickets can be found here.
