Five New Artistic Associates to Join Synergy Theatre Project

Five new Artistic Associates will join Synergy Theatre Project from February 2024.

They are Daniel Bailey, Milli Bhatia. Jade Lewis, Stef O’Driscoll and Evan Placey.  These new associates are an audacious team of creatives each with their own skills and specialism.  They will join Artistic Director and Founder of Synergy Theatre Project Esther Baker in delivering and expanding Synergy’s bold and innovative programme of work around the criminal justice system. 

Artistic Director, Esther Baker said ‘Synergy has ambitions to produce more new plays that speak to universal concerns and challenge the public perception of criminal justice. We’ve been building partnerships across theatre, prison and education for over 20 years and worked with thousands of people with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

With the associates we are setting up a diverse group of talented artists to initiate and unlock creative projects that will fuel our artistic programme. Over the next year they will be at the heart of our work, opening up new opportunities with their voices, skills and networks.  We’re really excited to announce the five dynamic theatremakers joining Synergy as our new associate artists.’

Daniel Bailey is a Director, Dramaturg and Writer for stage and screen. He is currently Associate Artistic Director at the Bush Theatre and previous roles include Associate Director at Birmingham Rep, Resident Director at The National Theatre Studio, Associate Artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East and Resident Assistant Director at The Finborough Theatre.

Milli Bhatia is an internationally acclaimed Director and Dramaturg from East London. She has been an Associate Director at The Royal Court Theatre under Vicky Featherstone, Associate Artist at The Bush Theatre, Resident Assistant Director at Birmingham Rep and Creative Associate at The Gate Theatre.

Jade Lewis is a writer, director and theatre maker based in South London. She has been an Associate Director at Theatre503 and recent directing credits includes SleepOva at The Bush, Superhoe at the Royal Court and Get Dressed at the Unicorn.  For Synergy Jade Lewis is directing FOLLOWERS by Sonali Bhattacharya, a new play about friendship, influencers, misogyny and harm.

Stef O’Driscoll’s previous roles include Interim Artistic Director at The Gate, Artistic Director of Nabokov and Associate Director at Paines Plough and the Lyric Hammersmith. Directing new writing credits include work at The Young Vic, The Royal Court, Clean Break and The Bunker. Stef is an advocate for intersectional class diversity.  For Synergy Stef will be directing a new production at HMP Downview women’s prison.

Evan Placey is a Canadian-British playwright and screenwriter who lives in Londonand was named on the Brit List 2022. Theatre writing credits include Girls Like That (Birmingham REP, West Yorkshire Playhouse & Plymouth Theatre Royal; Synergy/Unicorn); Orange Polar Bear (Birmingham REP/National Theatre Company of Korea); Consensual (NYT/West End) and Pronoun (National Theatre).  For Synergy Evan has written a new play about our aging population in prison that we are looking to produce.