Jane Moriarty News

It’s the first anniversary of the death of Imi’s father and she’s having a lonely wake for Roger, her 8-month-old therapy dog whom she’s convinced absorbed all her feelings and kicked the bucket for it. “We’re the live, get on with it, cry on your own silently kind of family”, she says.

Theatre Royal Stratford East announces the line-up of writers and directors for BURN IT DOWN, a series of six newly commissioned script-in-hand performances about urgent political issues. Each short play will be a stand-alone scrutiny, calling out injustice and interrogating the systems that wield power.

A Secretary of State for Health and Social Care makes a racist comment to her attending doctor when her child is rushed into hospital; a prominent travel writer is held responsible for a suicide after a scathing review; an employee of an aid organisation demands the recompense she truly needs from the CEO after a disingenuous public apology.

A Secretary of State for Health and Social Care requests a white doctor when her daughter is rushed to a hospital. A travel blogger posts a review which leads to the suicide of the venue's owner. The Head of Safeguarding of a prominent aid organisation urges a true apology from the CEO after an insincere one.

BBC Arts and Avalon announce today the casting and directors for DEBUT - a unique new initiative enabling four professional creatives - Bim Adewunmi, Katherine Parkinson, Beryl Richards and Frank Skinner - who have never written for the stage before to create their debut play. All four plays will be directed by emerging directors giving a new generation of talent an opportunity to direct a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018.