Writenow- 5 -

Celebrating

creativity

southof the river

New writing season at theJack Studio Theatre

17 May–7 June 2014Booking: 0333 666 3366 www.brockleyjack.co.uk

Box Chicken

Pool

by Gemma Mills McGrath

by Max Katz

by Tom Harvey

@BrocJackTheatre

Botticelli’sAngels

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Write Now 5 is made possible thanks to Arts Council England and the London Borough of Lewisham. This project is supported by Acorn Estates Ltd.

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In September 2013 the Jack Studio Theatre invited playwrightswith a connection to south east London to submit unperformedplays to the theatre.The three plays which form our season were drawn from thesesubmissions.

Gemma Mills McGrath (Botticelli’s Angels) Gemma writes screenplays, poems and short stories, some ofwhich have been placed in UK and US competitions andschemes such as TAPS, BBC Radio 4 Drama Course, and OldVic, New Voices. Botticelli’s Angels is her first play, whichstarted life as a short. Gemma is a freelance managementlecturer and has worked in south east London for ten years andnow lives in Bromley.

Max Katz (Box Chicken)Max has received rehearsed readings at theatres includingRoyal Court’s Jerwood Theatre, Soho Upstairs Theatre, andYoung Vic Theatre. She has also been short and long listed forvarious theatre awards, including the Alfred Fagon Award(2006 & 2008), the Verity Bargate Award (2008) and theBruntwood Prize (2012). Max works in south east London,supporting projects across London for vulnerable and diversecommunities.

Tom Harvey (Pool)Tom is a creative entrepreneur and writer working across film,television, interactive media and theatre. He has executiveproduced five feature films, and in the past Tom has runNorthern Film & Media. He has only been writing for thetheatre in earnest for a couple of years and Pool is his firsttheatre production. Tom lived and worked for 20 years in southeast London, and went to college at the Elephant and Castle.

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by Gemma Mills McGrath Directed by Matthew Parker

Frank is on a mission. He seeks compensation forthe damage that he and his magician brother Johnnysuffered as children. His meeting with Ursula, anewly trained outreach worker for the church, beginsa journey that forces them all to renegotiate theirview of themselves, tussle with the seductive grip ofdenial, and finally feel the pain and relief of truth.

Botticelli’s Angels is an exploration of the power ofhuman connectionto help us finda future fromthe debris of thepast.

"One thing I’ve learntfrom all this - if youdon’t grieve on time,you grieve forever.”

Tuesday 20th Thursday 22nd May at 7:45pm Saturday 24th May at 4pmStaged Reading. All tickets: £7 (suitable for over 14s)

Botticelli’sAngels

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Ailleen is about to turn sixteen. In the confines of arun-down fried chicken shop, she finds refuge.Refuge from the pain left behind by the suddendisappearance of her eldest brother Ricki, and fromthe demons that haunt her alcoholic mother Rose.

When Ailleen’s Uncle Silco unexpectedly returns, herbirthday party descends into shocking revelationsand dangerous half-truths. Against the backdrop ofboxed chicken, her coming of age is acutely shapedby the flawed adults and the secrets of those closestto her.

"If you peel the skin away from someone do youthink people would recognise who they were? Fromtheir voice, or from the way their eyes moved, orfrom how their teeth fit together."

Wednesday 21st, Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May at 7:45pm Staged Reading. All tickets: £7 (suitable for over 16s)

by Max Katz Directed by Mark Leipacher

Box Chicken

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It’s the morning after New Labour’s victory in 1997.Things Can Only Get Better, except for a group ofpool attendants struggling to keep the gates open.

As Rob, Steph, Trev and Ashley fight to keep theirheads above water, they find that chaos is possibility,that ghosts can be trusted and that magic isredeeming. Pool is a comedy about drowning, griefand forgiveness, and a reminder that friendship isabout all we have to see us through.

"Never too late to save a soul. At least that's what itsays on the entrance sign, or is it the exit?”

Tuesday 27th May - Saturday 7th June at 7:45pmFull Production. Tickets: £14, £11 conc. (suitable for over 14s)

by Tom Harvey Directed by Kate Bannister

Pool

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STARTERS FOR TEN:

To launch this year's Write Now Festival we have aselection of short plays to whet your appetite.Chosen from submissions to the Jack, these playsexplore different aspects of our chosen theme.Using the phrase ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ as a startingpoint, we asked writers to explore this incredible humantrait, to say something when others won’t, in any waythey felt possible. Heart warming, thought-provoking andhumorous, these short plays are drawn from UK andinternational submissions.

Date: Saturday 17th May at 5pm and 7:45pmAll tickets: £10 (suitable for over 16s)Booking: 0333 666 3366www.brockley jack.co.uk

If you wish to find out moreabout new writing programmesat the Jack, please email writers@brockley jack.co.uk

Lost in the QuagmireChris Shaw Swanson

The LimerickMartin Nathan

A Small Act of VandalismAndrew Biss

Cinderella StoryMatt Hanf

Live With ItZia Moher

On Flies WingsJessica Andrewartha

Dead DoveNick Myles

Speak Up, Speak Out.

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TAKE PART...Please join us in our writing workshops if you want to try out something new, or if you have an idea you want to develop.

1. Creating CharactersCome and find challenging new ways of creating threedimensional characters for your play. Through groupexercises we will invent characters with lives of their own,discover their needs, their environment and the startingpoints for a play scenario. Saturday 24th May 1–3pm (15 participants max)

2. Synopsis SurgeryGet it right before you write! This workshop is abouthoning a workable blueprint for your play. Pitch and kickideas around and get feedback from group discussion tomove your play forward. Saturday 31st May 1–3pm (12 participants max)

3. Improvisation for WritersThis fun workshop is specifically for writers to “play” rolesin character in unexpected scenarios, in order to exploremore about their characters, and discover how they mightbehave and react to situations in their own plays.Saturday 7th June 1–3pm (15 participants max)

Cost: £10 per workshop.Workshops are suitable for all experiences.Workshop places must be booked in advance: www.brockleyjack.co.uk Workshops are led by David Bottomley

Jack Studio Theatre Literary Manager.

In ConversationFollowing performances of all three plays there

will be a short discussion session with membersof the creative team. This is open to all and freeif you have bought a ticket for that night’s

performance.Dates: Thursday 22nd May, Friday 23rd May, Friday 30th May.

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Book tickets online at: www.brockleyjack.co.uk(no booking fee)Phone: 0333 666 3366(£1.50 booking fee applies to phone sales ONLY)

Box office at the theatreopens 30 minutes beforeeach performance.

Jack Studioat the Brockley Jack410 Brockley RoadLondon SE4 2DH

Pub and Theatre wheelchair accessible

Buses122, 171, 172,P4, N171

Honor Oak Park

Crofton Park

Honor Oak Park Road

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don

Park

Rd

Broc

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Tuesday 20th MayBotticelli’s Angels (staged reading)7:45pm all tickets £7Wednesday 21st MayBox Chicken (staged reading)7:45pm all tickets £7Thursday 22nd MayBotticelli’s Angels (staged reading)7:45pm all tickets £7Friday 23rd MayBox Chicken (staged reading)7:45pm all tickets £7Saturday 24th MayBotticelli’s Angels (staged reading)4pm all tickets £7Saturday 24th MayBox Chicken (staged reading)7:45pm all tickets £7

Tuesday 27th MayPool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Wednesday 28th MayPool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.

Thursday 29th MayPool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Friday 30th MayPool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Saturday 31st MayPool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Tuesday 3rd JunePool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Wednesday 4th JunePool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Thursday 5th JunePool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Friday 6th JunePool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.Saturday 7th JunePool7:45pm Tickets £14, £11 conc.

PR & graphic design by Grey Swan and Positive Design Works

May/June 2014

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