a free programme here

Performances and Readings 2016
The National Theatre’s playwriting competition
for 15 to 19-year-olds
nationaltheatre.org.uk/newviews
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new
views
2015/16
Mary Butler
New Views is the National Theatre’s
annual playwriting competition.
This year, students from 66 schools
submitted over 300 plays. There were
93 longlisted scripts, 9 shortlisted
scripts and 1 final winner.
Thursday 7 July
11.30am
Machine Breakers
by Constance Dimsdale
On her 13th birthday, Lola receives an iPhone.
In a technology-dominated world, this gift
shapes her adolescence as she develops
an obsessive bond with Siri. Virtual reality
becomes Lola’s reality, stealing her away
from a troubled family life. As the lines
between dependency and intimacy blur,
what does her future hold?
‘In the past, I have experienced theatre
predominantly through acting and spectating.
While I thoroughly enjoy both of these,
participating in New Views has introduced
me to scriptwriting, the aspect of theatre
I feel suits me the most and is incredibly
rewarding. I am particularly interested in
history, philosophy and modern culture,
all of which have found ways into my play.’
Constance Dimsdale
‘The marrying together of the dysfunctional
family story and the reliance on and fear
of technology is so relevant. Only someone
of their generation could have voiced this.
It’s raw and true.’
Ben Haynes
Adam Kassell
Foxes and Rabbits
The Cut
by Mae Rose Milburn
by Hope Leslie
Different. Displaced. Uncomfortable in his
own skin. Tom is a rabbit in a family of foxes.
A young girl deals with physical and
emotional torment after undergoing FGM.
Isolated in a society that has no knowledge
of this, she is forced to suffer in silence.
The Cut shows a girl facing the harsh reality
of womanhood.
West Yorkshire Playhouse Hub, Leeds
‘I’ve always had a fire in me, burning with
something to say. Before New Views, this
manifested itself as a series of messy
unfinished projects, mostly bad poetry and
ridiculous plotlines. New Views taught me
the discipline I needed to create something
worthwhile. It gave me the confidence to do
it on my own terms and the power to speak
and be heard. I don’t think I’ll be getting
quieter any time soon.’
Mae Rose Milburn
Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge
Suhayla El-Bushra
Playwright
Constance Dimsdale
‘A really great concept really well executed
in a great script.’
Suhayla El-Bushra
Playwright
Thursday 7 July
2pm
Baby Annabelle
by Jessica Oghenegweke
East London Arts and Music
Brighton College
‘I have always had a love of writing and am
excited to have finished my first play. I’m very
interested in the arts and have discovered a
passion for performance art particularly. It is
important for me to channel my views as a
feminist through my work; I’m also inspired
by my heritage and discovering what it
means to be mixed race.’
Hope Leslie
‘A gloriously delicate journey of change.’
Ben Power
Deputy Artistic Director, National Theatre
Friday 8 July
11.30am
The Visit
by Ben Haynes
The London Oratory School
Baby Annabelle follows Gertrude Allbank’s
transition from infancy to adulthood.
The play explores and challenges the
modern societal view of how women should
behave in relationships. Are society’s ideals
realistically obtainable or will they inevitably
result in tragedy?
‘A couple of years ago I moved from Norwich
to London to attend ELAM [East London
Arts and Music] to explore my interests and
learn more about both music and English.
This New Views experience, reading and
watching more plays, writing my own and
being mentored by an extremely talented
playwright has completely inspired me to
start a career as a writer and I can honestly
say I’m very excited for what’s to come next.’
Jessica Oghenegweke
‘This play has a really strong voice. It’s funny
and it has a lovely energy. It’s a really sparky
monologue.’
Suhayla El-Bushra
Playwright
Under significant financial strain and
betrayed by a ruthless gigantic pig, Phil,
Maddie and their family are evicted from
their giant avocado home. The Visit explores
themes of poverty through Absurdism,
aiming both to entertain and challenge
the audience.
‘I joined New Views as I became fascinated
by playwriting after my English class had an
afternoon with a professional playwright. I
am especially interested in Absurdist theatre,
hence the basis of my play. Highlights of my
New Views experience include watching
Pomona and wonder.land and, of course,
writing my play.’
Ben Haynes
‘This one is funny and entertaining. It takes
the totally grotesque and turns it into the
everyday. It’s like a fairy tale gone mad!’
Nina Steiger
Senior Dramaturg, National Theatre
Shortlisted plays Readings in the Dorfman Theatre
Thursday 7 July, 11.30am and 2pm; Friday 8 July, 11.30am and 2.30pm
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Hope Leslie
Mae Rose Milburn
It Was Just A Prank, Bro
by Joel Moffett
Joel Moffett
Jess Oghenegweke
Leroy the YouTube Man
by Adam Kassell
The London Oratory School
Worthing College
Four boys prepare for their Duke of
Edinburgh trip. When a new boy joins the
school and the other boys find out he will
be joining the trip, they bully him on social
media. On the trip, without phones or internet,
they bully him in a different way. Which is
more cruel?
Leroy is a teenager who doesn’t know what
he wants to do with his life until he discovers
YouTube Gaming. He forms a group of
gamers to join the YouTube race, but the
group soon find that there are more important
things than YouTube fame.
‘I have acted in lots of productions at school
and with the Orange Tree Youth Theatre.
My New Views experience was a chance
to imagine myself playing all the parts in
my play in my head.’
Joel Moffett
‘This one opens excellently and is crisply
realised all the way through. A triumph of
tone and drama.’
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
National Theatre Associate
Friday 8 July
2pm
Fish
by Mary Butler
Sherborne Girls School, Dorset
Rory will die before her 12th birthday. Her
sister Maya is too young to understand, but
she knows that when her fish died he left her
forever. Refusing to sit back and waste her
time, Rory somehow needs to make Maya
realise that death is not the end of love.
‘Despite having seen lots of plays growing
up, I never really appreciated the hard work
behind the finished product until I tried it for
myself. New Views gave me a chance to step
into a medium I had never written in before,
and the unique opportunity to work with an
incredible playwright and produce something
I could be proud of.’
Mary Butler
‘It feels like a real experience of loss –
accurate, moving and impressive.’
Ben Power
Deputy Artistic Director, National Theatre
‘I have played video games since I was 14, and
have immersed myself in the life of a gamer.
Recently I discovered the movement of gaming
videos on YouTube. The quest to be famous
and the way YouTube personalities try to
capture the online audience fascinate me.
New Views was a unique opportunity because
I have never written a play before, and with the
National Theatre’s help I could write my ideas
down in a professional way.’
Adam Kassell
‘A brilliant, angry, visceral play... It gives
you a view into this alternative world.’
Ben Power
Deputy Artistic Director, National Theatre
Molly O’Gorman
Winning Play
Wednesday 6, Thursday 7
and Friday 8 July, 5.30pm,
Dorfman Theatre
Broad Shadow
by Molly O’Gorman
Brighton College
Róisín has been offered a job. If she takes
it, she can escape the mother who has
suffocated her for the first 27 years of her life,
the mother who has always focused on her
daughter’s weaknesses to avoid confronting
her own. But, when it comes down to it, can
Róisín simply leave?
Broad Shadow is the story of a
simultaneously fractious and unbreakable
relationship between mother and daughter.
‘I have grown up in Ireland, both reading
and writing for as long as I can remember – I
have always been far more preoccupied by
fiction than reality. New Views has given me
the opportunity to focus on that and push
the boundaries of my writing, as well as show
others what I can do.’
Molly O’Gorman
‘This one is written with astonishing maturity.
It sits within a tradition of Irish drama from
Enda Walsh to Samuel Beckett.’
Ben Power, Deputy Artistic Director, National Theatre
‘Really sophisticated, restrained writing.’
Nina Steiger, Senior Dramaturg, National Theatre
‘This one got me. I just believed it. I could
see it all and recognised the relationship.
It’s written with a kind of reserve that lends
it intrigue.’
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, National Theatre Associate
‘Great subtext and incredible tension,
brilliantly executed.’
Suhayla El-Bushra, Playwright
Cast
Roxanna Nic Liam
Alexzandra Sarmiento
Eileen Walsh
Director
Ola Ince
Costume
Jo Kuhn
Julie Burns-McKenzie
Designer
Jacob Hughes
Make-up
Helen Casey
Lighting
Paul Knott
Props
Eleanor Smith
Surenee Chan Somchit
Sound
Eamon Walsh
Production Manager
Emily Seekings
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Stage Managers
Tasha Savidge
David Marsland
Casting
Vicky Richardson
Dialect Coach
Kay Welch
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new
views
New Views is the National Theatre’s playwriting
competition for 15 to 19-year-olds.
It gives young people across the country the chance to
write a play – and one student each year sees their play
produced at the National Theatre.
Teachers: take part in New Views 2016/17
Join a network of schools and colleges across the UK and take part in New Views.
We provide all the support teachers need to set up a writing group in school: an
in-depth online course, an inspiring professional development weekend, and visits
to productions at the NT, or to your local cinema for NT Live screenings. Your students
will also take part in two workshops in school with professional playwrights.
National Theatre Learning
NT Learning gives everyone the chance to discover new skills and experience
the excitement of theatre-making, through inspiring projects here at the National,
in schools and with people of all ages across the UK.
nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning
New Views
Director of the National Theatre
Rufus Norris
Executive Director
Lisa Burger
Writer photographs courtesy of the writers
Programme published by and copyright
The National Theatre
Upper Ground
London SE1 9PX
Registered charity number 224223
Secondary and FE Programme Manager
Jane Ball
Secondary and FE Programme Coordinator
Liz Bate
Rehearsed Readings Directors
Tinuke Craig, Tom Hughes, Rosemary McKenna
and Lily McLeish
New Views Writer Mentors
Luke Barnes, Deborah Bruce, Chris Bush,
Elinor Cook, Ryan Craig, Georgia Fitch,
Deborah Gearing, Matt Hartley,
Christopher William Hill, Kirsty Housley,
Dawn King, Sabrina Mahfouz, Brian Mullin,
Lizzie Nunnery, Chino Odimba, Winsome Pinnock,
Evan Placey, Audrey Sheffield, Somalia Seaton,
Stef Smith, Paula Stanic and Tom Wright.
New Views Judging Panel
Playwright
Suhayla El-Bushra
National Theatre Associate
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Deputy Artistic Director, National Theatre
Ben Power
Senior Dramaturg, National Theatre
Nina Steiger
Director of Learning
Alice King-Farlow
Deputy Director of Learning
Paula Hamilton
General Manager, Learning
Virginia Leaver
nationaltheatre.org.uk/newviews
New Views is supported by The Chapman Charitable Trust, The Golsoncott Foundation,
Old Possum’s Practical Trust and The Steel Charitable Trust.
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