Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
blank Pages (formerly First Draft Theatre Company) is a London based theatre company, specialising in new writing.
Concept
Every three months, two new plays are written by specially commissioned playwrights, giving their take on a topic inspired by recent news events. These plays are then staged, using directors and actors who had not met before, even at audition.
History
First Draft Theatre Company (usually abbreviated to First Draft) was set up by Suzanne Enoch in February 2006. The first selection of plays were Operation New Life by Katy Darby and Underground Resistance by Michael Ayres. The company was renamed as blank Pages in 2010.
Creatives
Directors who have worked for the company include Alison King and Sian Thomas. Actors include Chandrika Chevli. The Associate Creative is Eva Maler.
Venues
Venues used by the company include Barons Court Theatre, The Bedford, The Dogstar, Hen and Chickens Theatre, Inn on The Green and King's Head Theatre.
Performances
Since changing its name to blank pages, the company has put on the following productions:
Ferry Lights by Claudia Ward, directed by Claire Robbin, in August 2010.Tomorrow We Build Our Jerusalem by Michael Ross, directed by Hugh Allison, in August 2010.Light Fittings by Alice Birch, directed by Claire Robbin, in November 2010.The Woman Who by Maev Mac Coille, directed by Hugh Allison, in November 2010.To have or not To have by CS Flint, directed by Perdie Hatton-Brown, in February 2011.seems like I've got too much of it since by Chris Bennion, directed by Kimberley Sykes, in February 2011.Transactions by Peter Norgate, directed by Dan Skili, in May 2011.Common Ground by Katy Darby, directed by Bethany Pitts, in May 2011.No Signal by Antony Dunford, directed by Daryl Wild, in November 2011.Blue Dot by Duncan Gates, directed by Katharine Armitage, in February 2012.Modest Stillness and Humility by Maev Mac Coille, directed by Sam Conway, in February 2012.My Name Is Amanda Lavery by Mark Mitchell, to be directed by Martin Brady, in May 2012.These have all been performed at the Dogstar in Brixton.
Company Successes
The following plays were first written for the company:
The Better Deal, written for First Draft in 2007, was performed at The Rosemary Branch Theatre later that year.Ferry Lights, written for blank Pages in 2010, was adapted for radio and aired later that year.A Public Kind of Privacy, written for First Draft in 2006, was performed at The White Bear Theatre in 2007. It was nominated for Best Play at the Brighton Festival in 2007.The State We're In about protester Brian Haw, written for First Draft in 2007, was performed at The Edinburgh Festival in 2009, starring Michael Byrne.Charity Work
Since changing its name to blank Pages, the company has given a percentage of its takings to various charities. To date, these have been Dementia UK, Actors Orphanage, Amnesty International, Terrence Higgins Trust, RSPCA and Great Ormond Street Hospital.