WRITERS AVENUE Returns to The Courtyard in Hoxton

WRITERS AVENUE THEATRE COMPANY, founded by its Artistic Director, Sandra Thompson-Quartey, specialises in finding, developing and staging new plays by first-time writers. In June 2017 Writers Avenue will be moving into the award-winning Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton, London and will be programming work for the main theatre which features 130-150 seats within a highly flexible space.

Writers Avenue@The Courtyard will open its summer season with 'DenMarked', a 60 minute, one-man show by the rapper/writer/performer Conrad Murray, directed by Rita Parry and developed in association with Battersea Arts Centre (BAC). 'DenMarked' is a combination of hip-hop and theatre, written by Conrad Murray and based on his dramatic, humorous and occasionally hair-raising experiences of growing up on a council estate, making friends, making mistakes, telling stories and getting out. Conrad is a writer, actor, musician and director of BAC Beatbox Academy.

• 'DenMarked' performs at Writers Avenue@The Courtyard June 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th
• Press night: June 13th at 7pm - join us for drinks from 6pm
• RSVP: judy.lipsey@premiercomms.com
• Address: 40 Pitfield St, London N1 6EU
• Box office: 08444 771 000 DenMarked tickets here

Writers Avenue finds and develops plays by new writers that deliver compelling stories with contemporary themes that are as entertaining as they are thought-provoking. Many of the playwrights who have emerged via Writers Avenue's development programme have gone on to have their work published and broadcast and to work with theatres such as the Royal Court. Writers Avenue is proud to have associations with writers including Chris Urch (The Land of Our Fathers, The Rolling Stone) and Rose Lewenstein (Now This is Not the End).

Writers Avenue@The Courtyard summer season features a lively mix of topical and political drama, comedy, music, physical theatre and discussion:

June 6th, 7th at 8pm; July 4th at 7.45pm
'6 DEGREES' written by George Johnston, Emily Gillmor Murphy, Mariam Ives-Moiba, Jennifer Richards, Rob Thomson, Atlanta Green and Grace Maxted.
Performed by actors 18-30 from the Writers Avenue Network
75 mins/no interval, £12/£10

The late Hungarian author and playwright, Frigyes Karinthy, was the first proponent of the six degrees of separation concept which refers to the idea that everyone on this earth is approximately six or less steps away from introduction to each other. 6 Degrees is a fusion of the UK's finest emerging talent: short new plays with characters connected by the 6 Degrees of Separation theory.

JUNE 8TH 9TH at 7pm
'18-22, ATTRACTIVE, INSECURE'
Performed by Gréan Theatre Company
Written by: Elaine O'Dwyer and BEthan Leyshon
60mins/no interval, £10/£8

#Actors Life. Does getting cast mean casting others out? Can a strong friendship between actors remain in a competitive industry? Carys is Welsh. Maire is Irish. Sharing a flat in London to pursue their dreams in acting should be fun, right? Can their friendship remain strong in a place so far from their Celtic roots? Friends, career choices, basic survival and a constantly changing world are themes in this thought provoking two-hander.

JUNE 10TH at 7pm
'BOUJIE'
Written, directed and performed by Hassan Govia
Performed by Hassan Govia, Natali Servat, Jonathan Clarke-Hesson, Juliet Okotie, Cristal Cole, Freddy Gaffney
60 mins/no interval, £11/£9
Devin hosts a housewarming which is derailed by the arrival of some uninvited guests. This is Hassan Govia's first full length play since graduating from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.

JUNE 12TH, 13TH, 14TH, 16TH, 17TH at 7pm
'DENMARKED' drama/comedy/music
Written and performed by Conrad Murray (left)
Directed by Rita Parry
60 mins/no interval, £14/£10
A combination of hip-hop and theatre, Conrad's honest, raw and humorous show is told through segments of blistering beatbox, guitar and Shakespeare-infused storytelling live-mixed with a loop station. DenMarked returns after a successful run at Battersea Arts Centre in March 2017.

JUNE 19TH - JULY 1st at 7pm
'MORE MANET FOR YOUR MONET - THE HIPSTERS' PANTOMIME'
Written and performed by Zaf Ayub of Clay Theatre and Film
Performed by: Nina Lainville, Leonie Owens, Matt Moorehouse, Jack Waldouck, Leigh Kelly and Cary Tennant who are all part of Clay Theatre and Film
Director: Leigh Kelly
105 minutes (including one interval), £14/£11
Cal St. John's debut art show descends into farce and chaos when his friends take artistic licence too far. Amid the destruction our hero is given an insight into the nature of life, art and success... but is he wise enough to grasp it? A grand satirical absurdist farce and a Brechtian comedy of bad manners.

JULY 5TH at 7pm
'GEORGIE MORRELL: THE MORRELL HIGH GROUND'
Written and performed by Georgie Morrell
60 mins/no interval £12/£10 - or two shows for £16 - 'A Poke In The Eye' July 6th

Can disability finally bring sexy back? Can Georgie save the NHS?! Is the benefit system as doomed as Ken Loach depicts? Are NHS doctors hotter than private ones? These are some of the essential questions Georgie asks while taking the audience through her journey and tackling the political and social implications of what it really is to be disabled today. Georgie Morrell is a half-blind comedian from London.

JULY 6TH at 7pm
GEORGIE MORRELL: 'A POKE IN THE EYE'
Written and performed by Georgie Morrell (left)
60 mins/no interval, £12/10 - or £16 for two shows ' The Morrell High Ground' July 5th
One woman. One eye. A Poke in the Eye returns after its successful Edinburgh and Soho Theatre runs; using her wit, charm and anecdotes Georgie tells the story of how she went blind but now she can see...literally! Recounting stories of doctors, sexual fantasies, binge drinking and family dramas, Georgie's rollercoaster account of what it's like to face inevitable blindness has the audience gasping, laughing and crying - mostly at the same time. London Pub Theatres ****

JULY 7TH, 8th at 7pm
'DANCING WITH JACK'
Written and performed by Victoria Jeffrey (left) of Sassy Lady Productions
Director: Katy Stafford
60 mins/no interval, £12/£9
The Guardian's Critics' Choice Victoria Jeffrey returns with her bittersweet comedy solo show. Her life is in crisis. The wrong side of 45, skint, and dealing with the death of her father and being dumped by her long-term boyfriend Richard, 'Dancing With Jack' is a poignant slice of life tale with a comic twist about love, loss and Jack...whoever he is...The show combines storytelling, stand up and original songs. ****Broadway Baby

AUGUST 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th at 7pm
'DON'T BLAME THE BANKERS...$TOOPID'
Written and performed by Serafina Salvador (left)
Performed by: Serafina Salvador, Anne Musisi, Kandy Rohmann, Gaurav Kumar
60 mins/ no interval
August 7th 8th: £14/£10
August 9th 10th: £16/£12
'Don't Blame The Bankers...$toopid' is a young woman's disastrous love affair with power and money.

A play about the electronic world.

A play 'on' bankers

A play about blame

A play not to be missed!

It's not a rarity in today's society for a news headline to promote...hate. It is also not a rarity to do so using industries that are largely alien to the public, where men are top dogs earning big bucks and women the underdogs. What is rare is to get a young woman's perspective on such an industry from the inside out.

AUGUST 16th 17th 18th 19th at 7pm
'FOREIGN BODY'
Written and performed by Imogen Butler-Cole (left)
Director: Fran Moulds
1 hour 20 mins including 45 min Q&A, £15/£12
Foreign Body is the beautifully crafted debut solo show by Imogen Butler-Cole about hope, healing and forgiveness after sexual assault. Uniquely told from the perspective of the survivor and perpetrator of the same assault, using a charged combination of verbatim, physical theatre and a stunning original soundtrack, Foreign Body is a brave, liberating and life-affirming story.

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