成人论坛

Meet the 20 writers who have been part of our Drama Room writer development group since autumn 2020.

成人论坛 Writersroom's Drama Room is a 1-year development scheme for writers identified through our open submission Script Room opportunity and other talent searches. This Drama Room group was put together following the Script Room which closed in January last year.

The group meet, normally once a month (this year all sessions have been held online due to Covid), with targeted training and development including workshops (with practical writing exercises), masterclasses, introductions and networking events, and writing briefs with the opportunity to pitch. In addition to this, they are each paired with a script editor to work with across the year to develop and write an original pilot spec' script.

The aim of the scheme is to encourage and develop the best in new drama writing and to give these writers the opportunity to build strong connections with producers and help them gain 成人论坛 broadcast commissions.

(Please note: We are still in the reading process for the most recent Script Room, which closed in January 2021, and will let everyone know the outcome as soon as possible.)

Amy Trigg is an actor and writer from Essex. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from a performance course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Her acting credits include work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, 成人论坛 and Universal.

Amy’s first full length play 'Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me’ was joint winner of the inaugural Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020 (Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough). Her essay, ‘An Ode to Improv (and Poehler and Fey)’ features in the book ‘Feminist’s Don’t Wear Pink (and other lies)’. Amy won 'Colchester New Comedian of the Year 2016’ for her one woman sketch ‘The Rebrand’. She is a writer on the upcoming 成人论坛 series ‘Ralph and Katie’ (ITV Studios).

Amy is currently part of the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course 2021, 成人论坛 Drama Room 2020/21 and 成人论坛 Writers Access Group 2020/21. She was recently part of the Royal Court Introduction to Playwriting Group 2020/21.

Andy Twyman is a Theatre Director and Writer/Director for TV and Film originally from a small village that nobody would ever have heard of in Aberdeenshire. He was previously Associate Director at leading new writing theatre company HighTide Festival Theatre and has worked extensively across the UK.

Andy's short Film “Olve” Screened at Leeds International Film Festival and London Short Film Festival last year. His first feature film “Nairn” has just finished development and he is currently developing a slate of feature films and TV pilots.

Andy is also a fervent supporter of Manchester City FC, an average to poor squash player and very amateur home cook.

Asif Hasan is a writer with a background in factual storytelling and journalism for television. He’s worked for all the major broadcasters. His producing, directing and writing tv credits are diverse – ranging from undercover investigations for Panorama to Real Crime Documentary-Dramas.

Through his work, he has gained an intimate knowledge of a diverse set of worlds, from frontline policing, and healthcare, to the world of exploited illegal immigrants. Given his factual background, he places a great deal of emphasis on authenticity.

Asif’s overactive imagination and need to create character and stories developed early – being his only escape from a challenging childhood. He’s written a screenplay, two pilots, one of which was shortlisted, and another of which was longlisted for Thousand Films.
Born in London, Asif has spent most of his adult life in the North – Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield.

His mantra is, “Enjoy the journey. Commit 100% to the journey. Don’t sweat the outcome, it will look after itself.”

Beru Tessema is an actor, writer and director making work both for stage and screen. He was born in Ethiopia and raised in London where he is now based. Beru trained as an actor at RADA before going on to study screenwriting at London Film School.

Beru has written, produced and directed several short films including Absence (2014) and Verse (2015). He made his professional debut as a screenwriter in 2016 when he co-wrote the feature film Barley Fields on The Other Side of the Mountain which was nominated for best feature film at the Valladolid International Film Festival under the Seminci Joven Award.

As well as developing new work for the theatre, Beru is currently writing a feature film project, Angell Town, as a recipient of the Creative England development fund. He is also working on a short film project, Lions, which he will be directing with the support of Film 4 and BFI Network.

In addition to writing and directing, Beru teaches Screen Acting at RADA.

Chloë Mi Lin Ewart is a British East Asian, lower-class writer, born and bred in Leeds, now based mostly in London.
She is currently writing an episode of All Creatures Great and Small for series two, has three of her own shows in development with various production companies and will soon be part of the writer's room for a new project, Shenhoods.

Previously, Chloë completed the 4Screenwriting 2020 course, was commissioned to write two short plays for a Tennessee Williams inspired project at Trafalgar Studios and was a writer on James Graham’s Sketching project which ran at Wilton’s Music Hall. This play was published by Methuen Drama.

Chloë has also been longlisted by Thousand Films for her TV pilot, Finding Dad, and by Bush Theatre, the Papatango Prize and the Verity Bargate Award for her plays, Things I Know and These Days. She also received funding from Film London for her short film, Cupidity, which went on to win ‘Best Short’ at the Unrestricted View Film Festival.

Daniel Rusteau is a writer and playwright from London. He was recently a member of the writers room for the neo-noir detective series MIDDLE WEST (Outlier Society/PointGrey/Amazon), he has written two episodes of HOLLYOAKS (Lime/Ch4) and his half-hour film SUPERDAD for the anthology series ON THE EDGE (BlackLight TV/Ch4) is shooting this spring.

He is currently adapting the novel THE DIVINITIES by Parker Bilal for See-Saw Films and has original ideas in development with World Productions, Headline Productions, West Road Productions and Blacklight Television. He is adapting for TV the comic strip MILLION POUND BOYS for Beano Studios, his crime drama TV script THE BOROUGH made the 2019 Brit List and his play THE ONES WE LOVE was shortlisted for the 2021 Tony Craze Award.

He participated in the 成人论坛 Writersroom London Voices Scheme 2018/19 and has recently been selected for the by John Yorke.

Elliott Kerrigan won the 成人论坛 Writersroom Trans Comedy Award in 2013, which led to the sitcom 'Boy Meets Girl' on 成人论坛 Two, starring Rebecca Root, who was the first trans person to play a trans character in a lead role in a sitcom. Elliott has also written a play for Radio 4 called 'Midnight At Christmas.' Elliott has always loved writing, but is new to writing drama.

He watched a lot of sitcoms growing up - 'The Golden Girls', 'Rhoda' and 'Frasier' - and these shows inspired his sitcom 'Boy Meets Girl.' Lately, he's been watching the 成人论坛's 'Collateral', 'Doctor Foster', 'Fathermotherson, and 'The Honourable Woman' and he hopes these shows inspire him to write brave and compelling dramas.

When he's not writing, he's enjoying life in Northumberland, seeing friends, walking Byron the dog, listening to Alec Baldwin's podcast 'Here's The Thing', or reading (he's just finished Kate Atkinson's 'Big Sky', which he thought was phenomenal. Next: 'The Karamazov Brothers' by Dostoevsky).

Jahvel Hall was born and raised in London, starting out as an actor. Not knowing what to do in-between jobs, he studied English Literature and Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London. He developed his writing skills with short stage and screenplays in the years that followed. While living in Glasgow, Jahvel wrote the short-film "Misgivings" produced by Sigma Films. “Misgivings" toured the international film festival circuit playing in over 20 festivals, winning awards at 2 of them.

Jahvel's writing tends to oscillate around the intricacies and conflicts of cultural/racial identity, excessive drinking, and mental health. With a differing perspective to the norm his writing often finds the humour in topics that probably shouldn’t be funny. Previous work has been described as “quirky”, “raw” and “hmm...interesting”. His writing aims to tell captivating stories with a heart from perspectives often unheard from.

Kelly M Jones is a gay working-class Playwright from Dagenham. She was the winner of the 成人论坛's Wales Drama Award in 2014. She has recently completed the Emerging Playwrights Program at The Bush Theatre.

Currently on Hightide's Playwrights cohort and Mercury Theatre's Essex Voices. Kelly writes about queerness, class and her relationship to home. Recent credits include:

Room to Escape (成人论坛 Arts), Comma (Sherman Theatre), Garden Paradiso (Mercury Theatre), Tammy (Queens Theatre Hornchurch), The people’s platform (Commonwealth).

Kirsty Smith is a writer from Keighley, West Yorkshire her BAFTA Rocliffe Drama winning script I Am No Bird is under option with Lime Pictures, she was a participant in the Leeds Playhouse writers programme 2020 and her play Jane Hair: The Bronte’s Restyled will tour in 2021, supported by The Bronte Society & The Arts Council it is created with fellow Bradford lass Kat Rose Martin.

Kirsty is working on a slate of ideas for film and television with writing partner Lucy Dwyer including a YA mystery series for Lime Pictures and feature SUPER G’S for Lunar Lander Films. Kirsty & Lucy have been finalists in the Thousand Films Screenwriting Contest and the All3Media New Comedy Voice Award.

Previously Kirsty worked in unscripted television developing, producing and directing comedy and magic shows. She is represented by Julia Mills at Berlin Associates.

Kristian Phillips is a Writer and Actor from Port Talbot, South Wales. He is currently part of The Hampstead Theatre’s Inspire Group and Theatr Clwyd’s Writer in Residence Scheme.

Kristian recently came Runner Up with Commendation for the Phil Fox Award. Previous Work includes: DRIFT - A darkly comic, solo show about grief, addiction and masculinity.

Projects in Development include: SCHOOL NURSE (TV); CHEMICALS (TV); DRIFT (TV); A SMALL LIVING ROOM IN SOUTH WALES (Theatre).

Mandip Singh Dhesi is a northern-based screenwriter from Leeds. His debut script, 'Falling' was long-listed for the Kudos North Writers Award in 2018 and was also long-listed by the 成人论坛 Drama room in the same year. He was then invited to join the 成人论坛 Writersroom Northern Voices development programme (2018-19) out of 成人论坛 Media City Salford.

Mandip was selected as a finalist for 成人论坛 Radio's Alfred Bradley Bursary Award in 2019 for his second script, 'The Gift'. He subsequently spent three months working with a script editor, developing and adapting the script for radio.

Mandip's third script, '5 'tin Road' was long-listed by the 成人论坛 Drama Room in 2019 and subsequently led to agent interest and meetings with production companies. His fourth script, 'Northern Sky' was selected by 成人论坛 Drama Room 2020 and has also led to further industry attention.

Mandip holds a BA in Arts and Humanities and an MA in International Development and Education from the University of Leeds. He is currently developing several projects for television.

Matthew Greenhough is a working-class writer and performer from Sheffield, founder and creative director of , and associate artist of , Islington. He wrote and co-performed the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award-listed play, 'Bismillah! an ISIS Tragicomedy', which ran for over 70 performances, including VAULT and Edinburgh Festival runs, a transfer to the Pleasance Theatre, London and a National Tour. 

A recipient of The Peggy Ramsay Foundation Grant and The Live Theatre Bursary (awarded for ‘innovative approaches to story-based performance’) Matt’s most recent show was 'It’ll be Alt-Right on the Night', which he also performed. It enjoyed a critically-acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019, transferring to London for ‘Best of the Fest’, followed by a National tour. Earlier works include 'Delusions of Adequacy' (Edinburgh Fringe) and '#VILE: The Untimely Demise of a Manufactured Pop Star' (Edinburgh Fringe). 

After spending his youth in punk bands around Yorkshire, Matt entered the arts in his twenties, performing stand-up comedy as a dare. His writing uses comedy to explore seismic issues through, dark, character-led stories, informed by his background. He has been described as "skilfully juxtaposing the poetic and the mundane – a sweary Alan Bennett with funkier hair".

Matthew McDevitt is a Northern Irish Support Worker and Writer, based in Derry. His first 成人论坛 commission was a comedy-drama for radio, Lock In, starring Conleth Hill, which was broadcast on Radio Ulster and Radio Scotland in 2018. Matthew has contributed material to all three seasons of, Soft Border Patrol, on 成人论坛 NI.

His other works include, The Greasy Apple, a music mockumentary for Resonance FM; the script for the 3D Installation Talking Heads - as part of his hometown's acclaimed Halloween Festival; and the satirical game-show, Let's Get Quizzical which appeared as part of Bob Slayer's, 'Heroes of the Fringe' and Belfast Comedy Festival.

His short story Handy Number is due for broadcast on Radio 4 in early Spring 2021.

Maud Dromgoole is a writer from South East London, she is a graduate of the Royal Court invitation group lead by Alice Birch and Ali McDowall and the Hampstead Theatre inspire group led by Roy Williams.

Writing for theatre includes:
Mary Babies based on the true story of Bertold Wiesner and his thousand unknowing donor conceived children, which started at Vaults Festival before going on to a full at Jermyn Street Theatre. 3 Billions Seconds a satire on ecofacism following a couple of population activists as they attempt to offset the environmental cost of their impending child. Also started at Vaults Festival, before going on to the Paines Plough roundabout.

Other full length plays include RUR finalist for the Mercury Weinberg Prize, Offie nominated Acorn and Blue Moon. Her many short plays have been performed at theatres across London. She is currently working on the Living Newspaper Edition 5 for the Royal Court Theatre.

Mina Barber is a Writer and Director and was invited to join the 成人论坛 Writersroom London Voices Group in 2018 and was commissioned as part of a group of writers to write monologues for the ‘Hear Me Now’ project, which was published in 2018 and presented as part of a Festival at Theatre 503 in February 2020. Most recently Mina was invited to join 成人论坛 Writersroom Drama Room 2020/2021. Mina is also about to start a 1 year placement with the 成人论坛 Children’s in house team and is currently working with Documental Theatre on a 15 radio piece.

As a director for Theatre and Film Mina has worked with the Young Vic on playwright Ross Willis’ ‘A Million Fuckboy Sperms’ as part of the Young Vic Directors Programme. She has also worked with Theatre Royal Stratford East, Theatre 503 and most recently in the West End as an Assistant Director on the critically acclaimed and Olivier nominated 成人论坛 comedy ‘Upstart Crow’ by Ben Elton starring David Mitchell.

For film Mina has directed two shorts with Slackline Productions titled ‘I Dreamed I was Brigitte Macron’ and with Kick it Down Productions titled ‘3,800 miles’ both recorded during lockdown. Most recently Mina directed a production of ‘A Dolls House’ adapted by Tanika Gupta at the Central School of Speech and Drama that was live recorded that was streamed in January 2021 and has just finished working on a digital theatre piece for Theatre Royal Stratford East titled ‘Hysterical – The Hilarious History of Hysteria’.

Sami Ibrahim’s play two Palestinians go dogging won Theatre Uncut’s 2019 Political Playwriting Award and will be produced at the Royal Court once theatres re-open. He is currently a writer-in-residence at Shakespeare’s Globe where he is writing an adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses that will open this summer.

His play Fledgling was recently broadcast on Radio 4 and his piece The European Hare was shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize 2019. He has been on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and Theatr Clwyd, and is under commission at The Yard as well the Almeida.

For screen, he is currently writing a pilot for Chapter One Pictures and is developing treatments with Expanded Media as well as the BFI / Film London. He is represented by Jessica Stewart at Independent Talent.

Siofra Dromgoole has written three plays: Walk Swiftly and With Purpose (Edinburgh Fringe, Theatre503, North Wall Arts Centre) If It Didn't Matter (North Wall, Edinburgh Fringe) and Baby, What Blessings (Bunker, Edinburgh Fringe, Theatre503).

Most of these were interested in themes of coming-of-age, in the loosest sense — thinking about what it is to come into new information, and how we change and adapt with it.

She has taken part in residencies and workshops at North Wall Art Centre and Royal Court. Siofra has screen projects in development, works part-time in publishing and is currently finishing an MA in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths.

Temi Wilkey is an award-winning playwright, actor and screenwriter from North London. She studied English at Cambridge before training with the National Youth Theatre REP company in 2014. Her theatre credits include the National, the RSC and the Manchester Royal Exchange.

Temi was a member of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Group in 2017 and wrote her debut play, The High Table, at the course’s culmination. It was produced at the Bush Theatre in Lynette Linton's debut season, and won Temi the Stage Debut Award for Best Writer in 2020.

Temi wrote on Netflix's Sex Education S3 and is adapting the Booker-prize winning book Girl, Woman, Other for the 成人论坛. She’s also working on her own original projects in the UK and the US.

Yolanda Mercy is an Award Winning London-based British Nigerian, writer and performer. Her first play On the Edge of Me presented at Soho Theatre where she is currently on attachment (as a Soho Six).Last year saw her television writing debut with BBW, a comedy drama for Channel 4 as part of their BAFTA nominated anthology- On The Edge. Yolanda is a published author with Meuthen Books for Quarter Life Crisis, which toured nationally/international plus was adapted for 成人论坛 Radio 1xtra.

This year Yolanda returned to 成人论坛 radio with a new 5 part audio drama series called World of Curls, which she has written and directed an episode for. She has been named as The Barbican Centre's ones to watch in 2021, is a member of the Bafta Crew x BFI network scheme, and is currently developing new projects across different mediums.

Yolanda is the Winner of the "Debut TV Writer award" for BBW as (Edinburgh TV festival/New Voices Award), Winner of the Underbelly Untapped award, Named artist to watch by the British Council, Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for playwriting, and nominated for a 成人论坛 Audio Drama award.

Find out more about the 成人论坛 Writersroom's Drama Room development group