Theatre503 Reveals Autumn 2023 Season Line-Up

Theatre503 has announced an autumn line-up featuring world premieres by three debut writers. From September to December, Theatre503’s programme exemplifies the ways in which the new writing powerhouse encounters, nurtures, and launches a new generation of writers and theatre-makers –including through its 503Five residency, International Playwriting Award, and unsolicited script engagement.

Lisa Spirling, Artistic Director: “In this last year Theatre503 engaged with over 2,000 writers, through our International Playwriting Award, 503Five initiative, Rapid Write Response programme, and through unsolicited script reading and programming. The reality is that the journey from first draft to full production has never been more challenging for emerging playwrights and the creatives that brings their words to life. I am proud that 503 is able to introduce the voices of Rachel Bellman, Jon Berry and Roxy Cook to the world. They have written extraordinary debut plays that explore the darkest depths and heady heights of our humanity. These are plays that are ambitious in scale, packed with ideas, provocations and moments to stir the soul. I can’t wait to welcome audiences to 503 to share in their brilliance.”

AUTUMN SEASON 2023:

SEPTEMBER SEASON

4 – 16 September 2023
Theatre503 welcomes a selection of new writers and companies for a season of one and two night runs of brand-new plays, following the success of 503Resets in 2021 and the 2022 Summer Season. Further details to be announced.

 

Tanya Truman Productions and Theatre503 present

THESE DEMONS

by Rachel Bellman, directed by Jasmine Teo

26 September – 14 October 2023 (Press Night: Tuesday 3 October)

 

In a cottage in the woods, the window won’t stay shut. Feathers fall from the ceiling. And every now and then, you hear a scuttling. When an event puts her aunt Mirah in hospital, 17-year-old Leah takes it upon herself to find the perpetrator and exact revenge. But as she puts together her plan, the lines of reality become blurred. Her search for answers becomes a search for demons - metaphorical and... not.

 

These Demons is a thrilling dark comedy-horror exploring family ties, sisterhood, and Jewish demonology.

 

Rachel Bellman is a playwright, book writer and lyricist from London. She was previously part of Soho Writers Lab and is a member of the MMD Writers Lab. These Demons is her debut play and was longlisted for the 2021 Women’s Prize for Playwriting.

 

Phoebe Stringer Productions and Theatre503 present

TACHWEDD (NOVEMBER/THE SLAUGHTER)

by Jon Berry, directed by Jac Ifan Moore

24 October – 11 November 2023 (Press Night: Tuesday 31 October)

 

Four people. 200 years. The feeling of being hunted. A horn sounds in the clearing, a factory explosion, a rush of blood. Can you truly escape the destiny set out for you? From selling out, to leaving home, to returning to a place of regret, Tachwedd (November/The Slaughter) charts a family's journey as they try to reconcile the inescapability of the past with the weight of the future.

 

Set between the eras of Bethesda, North Wales, from the agricultural to the industrial to the contemporary,Tachwedd (November/The Slaughter) is an exhilarating journey through time, myth, and legacy that unfurls the intricate relationship between history, land, and consequence.

 

Jon Berry is a Welsh writer who has previously been part of the Royal Court’s Welsh Writers’ Course and the New Welsh Playwrights’ Programme, Sherman Theatre. He has been awarded the Kevin Elyot Award for Drama, and was a 503Five resident playwright in 2019/2020.

 

Theatre503 presents

A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK

written and directed by Roxy Cook

21 November – 9 December 2023 (Press Night: Tuesday 28 November)

Moscow, August 2018. The World Cup has just ended, and it has been a roaring success. Free Metro travel. Parties in the square. The police, the ones with guns, they were smiling! People finally saw that yeah, it’s okay over here and no, it doesn’t snow in the summer, it’s actually very warm. And wait, did we mention it was an incident free event?

But when an old woman walks into a bank, she is conned into taking out a high interest loan which she immediately forgets all about. A catastrophic series of events are set in motion...with only her cat Sally to bear witness. A Woman Walks Into a Bank is a powerful portrayal of a country in crisis. Inspired by childhood fairytales, Roxy Cook’s vibrant debut play uses biting humour to interrogate the social apathy tearing Russia apart. How did we get here? How can we get out?

Roxy Cook is a writer and director working across theatre and TV. A Woman Walks Into a Bank is her first play. It was selected from over 1400 submissions as the winner of the 2023 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award and was also shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2021 and longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize and Verity Bargate Award.

Before the season begins, Theatre503 has an exciting summer of development including selecting the next 503Five – its pioneering 18-month scheme for early career writers, through which Jon Berry’s autumn season playTachwedd (November/The Slaughter) was commissioned and developed. The application deadline is 2 July and the five successful playwrights will be announced and begin their residency in early Autumn.

To post a comment, you must register and login.