January 2023

‘Scratch’ launched its first showcase at the Old Red Lion Theatre Pub on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of January 2023. This event platformed 6 emerging playwrights through a 60-minute performance of 6 new short plays. 

January 2023 Plays & Writers:

Shrapnel by Holly Barbour 

What’s Best for Jada by Alex Blanc

The Nag’s Head by Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson 

Talking About Men by Philippa Lawford

Last New Years Eve by Amy Lever 

Somebody to Love by Barry McStay

Actors:
Daf Thomas, Elan Butler, Annie Cordoni, Ruby Crepin-Glyne, Francesca Eldred, Esme Coy, Amaia Naima Aguinaga, Elizabeth Green, Esmonde Cole, Marcus Harman, Rachel Barnwell, Charlie Coombes, Flo Guy, Julia Pilkington, Natasha Calland, & Jacob Hutchings.

Creative Team: 

Director/Curator – Izzy Parriss 
Creative Producer – Maddy Chisholm-Scott 
Administrative Producer – Enrose Ramos 
Lighting Designer/Technical Operator – Shane Gill 
Stage Manager - Eddie Holmes-Milner

Photography by Jake Bush

Meet the Writers

About Holly Barbour: 
Holly Barbour is a Scottish actress/writer from North-East Fife predominantly working in theatre as a writer/deviser with Scrawny Cat Theatre Company focusing on female and queer stories throughout history.  She is committed to platforming and showcasing regional voices and particularly enjoys walking the tightrope between darkness and humour in relationships in her writing.

About Alex Blanc: 
Alex is an emerging playwright. His most notable productions to date include Numbers, an exploration of male mental health which toured nationally with performances in London, Brighton, Oxford, and the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. Rated 5 stars by Broadway Baby, the piece was described as “intelligent, compelling, and utterly emotionally draining”. His most recent play, What’s Best for Jada, was chosen as the winner of Red Dragonfly Productions 2022 Taking Flight Competition and developed through a series of readings at the Brighton Fringe, Mast Studios Southampton, Wells Theatre Festival, Buxton Fringe, and the Hope Theatre London. Passionate about working with and for BESEA artists - he is a writer on ESEA Hub’s upcoming I, Human showcase of East Asian Arts. In 2021 he was selected for New Earth Theatre’s Writer’s Academy and commissioned by Exit Pursued by Panda for Creating Apart - a digital showcase of BESEA talent. Other than this, Alex has a Masters in Mathematics and Philosophy from Oxford University and enjoys writing poetry and music in his spare time.

About Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson: 
Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson, from Hertfordshire, is a writer, theatre-maker and actor. He studied at Drama Centre, where he formed Make It Beautiful Theatre Company with fellow students. Since then, he has written and starred in a number of productions including the 5-star show The CO-OP, Out of Time - during a residency at OBRA Theatre Company in the south of France, Our Little Life at the Black Box Studio in Slovenia, the Hanging Gibbet at Norwich Theatre and - most recently - Sniff at Theatre503. He and his writing partner Felix Grainger are now working on a revised version of the Hanging Gibbet, under the new name of the Nag's Head. 

About Philippa Lawford: 
Philippa Lawford is a writer and director based in Camberwell. She co-founded Bomb Factory Theatre in 2019 and staged her first play, Fracture, at the Bomb Factory Art Foundation in 2021. Her second play, Ikaria, ran for two weeks at the Old Red Lion in November 2022 and won a runner-up award for the ATG Playwrights' Prize and an OffCom Short Run Commendation. Philippa trained on the John Burgess Playwriting Course and is a new member of the Marylebone Theatre Emerging Writers Group. Philippa has worked as a reader for the Finborough Theatre and the ETPEP award and regularly develops her writing with Offshoots and Tightrope Theatre.

About Amy Lever: 
Amy Lever is a 21-year-old actor, writer, producer and theatre-maker from Manchester. She recently graduated from the University of Cambridge where her first full length play Life Before the Line won the Cambridge University Edinburgh Fringe Fund Prize – an award in which one student written show is selected to be fully funded at the Edinburgh Fringe. Life Before the Line received 5-star reviews, sold out audiences, was named one of the top ten Cambridge student productions of the year (Varsity) and will be coming to the Cockpit Theatre in London in January 2023Amy has been selected as a writer for a 6-month writer’s development course with Freedom Studios. 

About Barry McStay: 
Barry is an Irish writer living in London whose work explores themes of love, home, loneliness and queerness. Barry's first play, Our Island (dir. Maisie Lee) ran at the Project Arts Centre at the Dublin Fringe Festival 2015. It was nominated for 5 Dublin Fringe Awards and shortlisted for a Writers Guild of Ireland Award. It was published in FRESH CUTS, an anthology of plays from the Dublin Fringe Festival 2015 and 2016, by Oberon Books. Vespertilio (dir. Lucy Jane Atkinson) was his UK debut play, winning a Show Of The Week Award at VAULT Festival 2019. It later ran at Smock Alley at the Dublin Fringe Festival in September 2019 before being streamed as part of King’s Head Theatre Plays On Film in April 2021. It was published by Samuel French in 2021. Other work includes Bir Tawil (dir. Caitriona McLaughlin, Druid Theatre, Galway International Arts Festival 2017) and The First (dir. Emily Jenkins, VAULT Festival 2020). He has created interactive theatre games for Gideon Reeling and written short plays for Miniaturists and the Abbey Theatre. In 2018, he was one of 30 writers selected to create A Play For Ireland by Fishamble: The New Play Company and in 2021 his short play Come On You Boys In Green was named one of Fishamble’s Tiny Plays For A Brighter Future. His writing has been longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize, the Theatre 503 Playwriting Award and the Papatango Prize.

Barry has a BA (English Literature & History) from Trinity College Dublin and an MA (Acting) from East 15 Acting School. He co-hosts the podcast Worst Foot Forward.

About the Lighting Designer: 
Shane Gill is a freelance lighting designer based in London. Along with design, Shane works at Pearl in University College London where he fuses his love of theatre and science to create realistic immersive experiments to improve how people interact with cities. Recent design credits include Ikaria (Old Red Lion Theatre Pub), Blister (Dublin Fringe Festival),  Fridget (Dublin Fringe Festival, Winner of Little Gem Award), The Shaughraun (Smock Alley Theatre), Bump (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Test Dummy, Electric (Irish National Tour) and Disco Pigs/Sucking Dublin (Reality:check productions).

About the Stage Manager:
Eddie Holmes-Milner is a writer and director from London. He is Co-Director of Poets’ Pens Productions. Eddie has recently finished working as Drama Co-ordinator at the London Oratory School in Fulham, where he has designed and directed A Christmas Carol (2021), Fiddler on the Roof (2022), If You’re Glad, I’ll be Frank (2022) and Oliver! The Musical (2022) and Amadeus (2022). At university, Eddie directed The Ruling Class (2019), American Buffalo (2019) and The Entertainer (2020). He studies playwriting on the John Burgess Playwriting Course.

Meet the Actors

  • DAF THOMAS

    as Alfie in Somebody to Love

    Daf Thomas trained at The Royal Welsh College Of Music and Drama. Theatre credits include Sid in For Once (Theatre Clwyd). Film & TV Credits include Y Swn (Swnllyd), Y Goleudy (S4C), The Undeclared War (Channel 4), and Casualty (BBC 1).

  • ELAN BUTLER

    as Ryan in Somebody to Love

    Elan Thomas is a graduate of East15 Acting School. Theatre Whilst Training: The Comedy of Errors; Summerfolk; Herons; The Heresy of Love; The Power of Darkness. Theatre: Fishcat (Nottingham Playhouse); Conversion (The Pleasance); A Little Rain In Monaco (The Old Red Lion Theatre); Earth To Kurt (The Pleasance); Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (National Youth Theatre). Television: Masters of the Air (Apple TV); Sex Education (Netflix); Maternal (ITV); Funny Woman (Sky); Casualty (BBC). 

  • ANNIE CORDONI

    as Layla in Shrapnel 

    Annie Cordoni trained at Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Theatre credits include: Why Is The Sky Blue (Southwark Playhouse). Television credits include Father Brown (BBC). Theatre Whilst Training: Emelia; Urinetown; Anna Karenina; Twelfth Night; Bacchai; Death of a Salesman; England; Uncle Vanya; Either. 

  • RUBY CREPIN-GLYNE

    as Jamie in Shrapnel 

    Ruby graduated from The Oxford School of Drama in 2019, where she performed in the Sam Wanamaker Festival at The Globe & 'Pool, No Water' at The Royal Court in her final year. Since graduating Ruby has played Carol/Clare/Chantal in 'Road' at the Northern Stage, & Miranda in 'The Tempest' at The Pleasance. Short film credits include Kate in 'Meet Me by The Sea' (2022), & Ruby's self-made short film 'I'm A Savage', which came runner-up in Curzon Cinema/Agua de Madre’s short film competition for female filmmakers (2020). Television credits include Hanna (Amazon), The Syndicate, Doctors & Eastenders (BBC).

  • FRANCESCA ELDRED

    as Sophia in Last New Years Eve

    Francesca is a Northern Irish 2021 graduate from Drama Studio London. Since graduating, her theatre credits include: Sophie in Artist Descending a Staircase directed by Tim Luscombe at the Kings Head Theatre, Emma in Fragments directed by Jolley Gosnold at Alexandra Palace Theatre, Lisa in Defective Inspector at the Camden Fringe. Credits whilst training include Woman (Lead) in The Illusion of Time, directed by Emma Lucia Hands, and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Chris Luscombe. 

  • ESME COY

    as Alix in Last New Years Eve 

    Esme graduated from King’s College London in 2021. Esme was first directed by Izzy Parriss for the Bomb Factory Theatre Company as Ella in Ella and Louis.  Other theatre includes Celia - As you like it, Alice - Henry V, One -The Wolves are Coming For You, and Character 1-Here We Go. All at King’s Players and the King’s Shakespeare society. For Television: Bridgerton Season 2 and currently filming Season 3 as Margaret Goring (Netflix). Poldark Season 3/4 as Rowella, Goodnight Sweetheart as Ellie Sparrow, and Doctors as Megan (all for BBC). Film includes Short film with Rvbberduck production company for KSI called Test Case. 

  • AMAIA NAIMA AGUINAGA

    as Deb in Last New Years Eve

    Amaia graduated from The Brit School in 2018. Theatre credits include Ikaria (The Old Red Lion Theatre), Athena (Co-produced by The Yard and National Theatre), What Was Left (Southwark Playhouse). Film and television credits include Upcoming 2023 Touch (Frantic Assembly & Tea Films), Us (BBC), Sulphur & White (AMG International films, EMU Films, Stage 5 Films). Amaia was also part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Theatre Bridge Company and Frantic Assembly’s First Ignition for women. 

  • ELIZABETH GREEN

    as Sarah in The Nags Head

    Elizabeth Green trained at ALRA. Theatre includes: Operation: Save Santa (The Garage); Dance Nation, Beat Poetry (ALRA/ Rose Bruford); Teen Patti (Theatre 503); Geist (New Writing Festival), Consensual, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rage, La Morte D’Arthur, Lungs, Pomona (ALRA); Miss Saigon (Cameron Mackintosh). Television includes: Doctors (BBC). Radio includes: Peach – BBC Young Writers’ Award 2022 (BBC).

  • ESMONDE COLE

    as Connor in The Nags Head

    Esmonde is a professional actor and voice-over artist and will soon be seen in the Russo Brothers Citadel (Amazon Prime). He can also be seen in CBBC’s Still So Awkward and Apple TV’s Emmy-winning Ted Lasso. Theatre credits include Henry VIII & I Joan at The Globe, The Snow Queen at The Park Theatre, and Learning To Swim at Criterion Theatre. Other theatre credits include Learning To Swim (Criterion Theatre), Run It Back (Talawa), As You Like It (Putney Arts Theatre), Market Boy (Union Theatre), Fracture (Bomb Factory Theatre). Television includes Citadel (Amazon Studios), Ted Lasso (Apple TV), The Cleaner (BBC), Back (Channel 4), Still So Awkward (CBBC) Voice. Over credits include Doctor Who: Master!! (Big Finish), Spitting Image (BritBox), Warhammer: Adeptus Titanicus (Warhammer), Humane (Big Finish), The Offensive (Stakhanov). 

  • MARCUS HARMAN

    as Jack in The Nags Head 

    Marcus Harman has recently finished his run as the alternate Evan in Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre, where he was a member of the original west end cast from 2019. 

  • CHARLIE COOMBES

    as John in Talking About Men

    Charlie Coombes trained at The Oxford School of Drama. Theatre credits include: 39 and Counting (Park Theatre); The Seagull (The North Wall); Flatspin (The Oxford School of Drama); The Duchess of Malfi (The Oxford School of Drama); Wasted (WUDS); X (Warwick Arts Centre); Earthquakes in London (Warwick Arts Centre); Lest You Forget (Blue Moon Theatre Company); Love On Blue Canvas, 1890 (Blue Moon Theatre Company). Television credits include: Wool (AMC Studios/Apple TV+). Short film credits include: The Appointment (The Oxford School of Drama). 

  • RACHEL BARNWELL

    as Darcy in Talking About Men 

    Rachel Barnwell, from London’s, is an actor and improviser. She graduated from RADA in 2020 and during her final year was chosen as a finalist in the Spotlight prize. Recent credits include Doctors (BBC) and To Be Continued (Me+You Productions & Groundswell Productions).  Since graduating she has discovered her love for improvised comedy, and can be found taking classes and gigging around London.

  • FLO GUY

    as Sarah in Talking About Men

    Flo Guy trained at LAMDA on the 3-year BA Acting course from 2018-2021. Her television credits include Tom Jones (ITV) as Nancy. Her theatre credits while training includes: Present Laughter as Daphne; Measure for Measure as The Duke/Elbow; The Duchess of Malfi as The Duchess; Be My Baby as Queenie; Sucker Punch as Becky; A Superfluous Man as Misha; The Country Wife as The Country Wife; The Flick as Rose; Ladybird as Christine Ladybird; Fen as Shirley/Shona/Miss Cade/Mavis; Boy as Mysha; Loves Sacrifice as Bianca; King Richard II as Duchess of Gloucester/Duchess of York. 

  • JULIA PILKINGTON

    as Claire in What’s Best for Jada

    Julia Pilkington is an actor and theatre-maker based in London. She graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a Master’s in acting, where she was a recipient of the Embassy Scholarship. She is a keen actor-deviser and co-created with Poltergeist Theatre the award-winning show Lights Over Tesco Carpark (Pleasance, New Diorama). She has performed in What they forgot to tell us (BOLD Elephant) and Scholars Creek (The White Bear Theatre). Most recently, she devised and performed in the critically acclaimed show  Move Fast and Break Things at Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022.

  • NATASHA CALLAND

    as Marie in What’s Best for Jada

    Natasha trained at Italia Conti. Theatre credits include; Stepping Out, Pains of Youth, Measure for Measure, The Good Person of Sichuan, A Doll's House, Roosevelvis, The Happiest Days of your Life. Television credits include; Casualty, It's a Sin, Queens of Mystery.

  • JACOB HUTCHINGS

    as Richard in What’s Best for Jada

    Jacob is a recently graduated actor and creative from LAMDA’s MFA Professional Acting Course, before that reading Drama at the University of Exeter where he was awarded the Cymbeline Bursary to work on a season of new productions with the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Centre in Connecticut. Most recently, Jacob played Prince William in King Charles III and Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar at LAMDA. Jacob is also the Creative Director and founder of The Big AlumNight, a west-end graduate MT cabaret, championing emerging creatives and early career artists.

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July 2023