Chris Thorpe is a writer and performer from Manchester. He’s written for the Royal Court, Royal Exchange, the Unicorn Theatre and others. He collaborates with artists such as Rachel Chavkin, Rachel Bagshaw, Hannah Jane Walker and Javaad Alipoor and China Plate. Chris was a founder member of Unlimited Theatre, is an Associate of Live Art/Theatre company Third Angel and has worked frequently with Forest Fringe. He has also worked as a translator, most frequently with Serbian playwright Ugljesa Sajtinac and Belarus Free Theatre. His short film for the Royal Court and the Financial Times about the climate crisis, What Do You Want Me To Say? was released in September 2019. Chris's performance work tours internationally and is also regularly produced for stage and radio throughout Europe and in the US, including the recent premiere of Victory Condition at Residenz theater Munich, and the Italian productions of There Has Possibly Been an Incident and Confirmation, which won the Premio Franco Enriquez 2018. Other awards include Fringe Firsts for Static and Neutrino amongst others. His work is published by Oberon Books, Bloomsbury and Nick Hern Books.
Scriptwriting
Finding your scriptwriting voice is at the heart of this week-long residential course. You’ll be taught by award-winning and working playwrights and screenplay writers, Chris Thorpe and Hannah McPake who will be on-hand to nurture, develop and challenge you to produce work of quality and originality, ready to take out to the industry. You’ll also be joined for a special digital guest reading with Olivier Award-winner Suzie Miller during which she’ll be available to answer all your burning questions. An industry-focused afternoon will also feature mid-week, with members of Sherman Theatre’s Literary Team joining you at Tŷ Newydd to share their advice on how to move your writing career forward.
Through interactive group workshops and one-to-one tutorials, you’ll explore and address key aspects of professional scriptwriting and will be encouraged to analyse dramatic action, character, location, narrative and structure in the making of a compelling and successful play and script.
This course is for playwrights at the beginning of their career and for writers who have written one or two plays and are looking to develop their craft.
Tutors
Chris Thorpe
Hannah McPake
Originally from Edinburgh but now based in Cardiff, Hannah McPake is an actor, director and playwright. In 2013 she co-founded multi-award-winning gig theatre company Gagglebabble with Lucy Rivers. Her first full-length play TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM was performed at Sherman Theatre for Christmas 2022. Recipient of the Radical Creatures Commission from National Theatre Wales, BALLOON GIRL is scheduled for performance in 2026. I AM KEVIN a hybrid theatre/film with Cornish landscape theatre company Wildworks was short listed for Best Single Drama at the Celtic Media Festival 2024. Hannah regularly collaborates with yello brick to create audio experiences and is an Associate Artist of Theatr Iolo. Hannah's work is often inspired by history or reimagining's of well-known stories, it puts female characters squarely centre stage, usually playful and comic but unafraid to delve into the dark side of life, big-hearted and quietly political. Hannah took part in BBC Writers Room Welsh Voices 2023 and is working on her first TV drama pilot.
Guest Reader
Suzie Miller (Digital)
Suzie Miller is a contemporary international playwright, screenwriter and author, drawn to complex human stories often exploring injustice. She has degrees in law and science. Miller's plays have been produced in over a hundred productions around the world and won multiple prestigious awards. Her stage play Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer in the West End and Broadway productions was nominated for 5 Olivier Awards in 2023 winning for Best New Play and Best Actress; and nominated for 4 Tony Awards in the same year winning for Best Actress. It has been translated into over 30 languages, produced all over the world and also published as a novel in 6 countries. Her play Inter Alia, starting Rosamund Pike, will be performed at the National Theatre in London in Summer 2025. Miller is currently under commission with several new plays, alongside film and television projects around the world.