
Papatango today announce that their 2024 New Writing Prize will open for submissions at noon on Wednesday 17 January, until noon on Monday 11 March. This Prize launches a new partnership with Park Theatre, who will co-produce the winning play with Papatango in a full run on their main stage.
Judged anonymously, the Papatango New Writing Prize was the UK’s first, and remains the only annual, opportunity guaranteeing a new writer a full production – for 2025 in Park200 at Park Theatre, publication by Nick Hern Books, a royalty of 8% of the box office, and a £7,500 commission with full developmental support.
Be warned, this is not a play for non-white people. I should have known that from the clickbait lead image featuring an old white man, Louis Theroux vibes (a fellow Quent), standing in front of a tank decorated by brown men in thoubs, because that is all they are in this docu-play. Afghan people are objectified to add colour to a play which was set in Afghanistan before Henry Naylor had set foot in the actual country.
Courtesy of Steve Ullathorne.
A moving and daring piece of feminist theatre by New Earth Theatre Company which tackles issues of diplomacy, war crimes, sexual slavery, and generational trauma. Not a second of theatre was wasted with a narrative so neat, so precise that I kept abandoning my notebook in fear of missing a second of it. Kyo Choi is without a doubt a gifted storyteller that had this audience at the palm of her hands. Post lockdown the Arcola continues to disrupt the theatre scene at a time when we need dissenting voices most.
Taking on an additional job role is a story familiar to many, this offering a means of survival, as well as helping to support with the attainment of any aspirations held. With the rise of the delivery sector, in particular the takeaway industry symbolic of our cultural shift from the traditional phone call to your local takeaway restaurant to now accessing a variety restaurants at the click of a button, we live in the age of convenience. An exploration of the eponymous food delivery rider’s day to day, Rainer vividly offers insight into the ups and downs of her personal and professional world.
Courtesy of Olivia Spencer.
Our families lay the blueprint for the bonds we go on to establish, our parents an example of a loving relationship that we ourselves hope for in the future with a prospective loved one and look to emulate. But as time passes, and families drift apart on a distance level, maintaining those bonds become ever more important and within that the realisation of how unique these bonds are. An exploration of family, connection and the power of song, Barney Norris presents We Started to Sing, a production marking the re-opening of the Arcola Theatre.
Within the past decade, the face of food delivery has shaped how we dine at home, food delivery apps our new normal, delivery drivers now a staple on our streets, with food now accessible at the click of a button. Inspired by his own experiences within the service and delivery jobs sector, writer Max Wilkinson created show Rainer during the initial 2020 lockdown, an unpredictable time period that would place a higher demand on the delivery sector. Rainer explores the experiences of the eponymous solitary bicycle delivery driver as she whizzes across London in response to demand, placing her much needed voice centre stage. Currently playing at the Arcola Theatre, Max tells us more about exploring his own personal experiences further, the show’s two year creative process and working with his fellow team to realise the show!
Our families are what keep us rooted, often our first interaction with the wider world, here is where initial meaningful connections are formed. Marking the re-opening of the Arcola Theatre with their spring season, Barney Norris returns with the premiere of his latest work We Started to Sing, a piece tracing the distance that grows amongst a family over 3 decades as they pave new lives for themselves across the UK. Having recently just opened, the production plays until Saturday 18th June. Forming part of the production’s ensemble, cast member Naomi Petersen tells us more about what inspired her to take part in the show, what preparing for her role involved and what she’s learned from the creative process.
A closer look at the life of a Navy veteran during the latter stages of his life, Metamorph Theatre’s Scab meticulously portrays a tragic life filled with mental health issues, trauma, loneliness, familial issues, broken friendships and being left behind by society.
With current restrictions effecting how theatres will operate, this year’s impact has brought with it many challenges that have brought with it new ways of thinking. Returning to the Arcola Theatre after playing a part in the building’s inception 20 years ago, stage designer Jon Bausor has played a crucial role in designing the venue’s new Covid friendly space ‘Arcola Outside’. Ahead of the venue’s opening in December, Jon tells us more about the designing process.