Mercury Theatre Announces New Cohort Playwrights, Producers, and Directors For 2022/23

Mercury Theatre has announced their Playwrights, Producers and Directors cohort for their 2022/23 programme. This follows a hugely successful year offering support and development to their talented 2021/22 alumni.

Creative Director of Mercury Theatre, Ryan McBryde, said: "The success of our Mercury Playwrights, Producers and Directors scheme has proved to us how vital it is that regional theatres support local artists. These creative programmes are an integral part of supporting our freelance regional community and creating work for the future. This means that we can continue to be a source of innovation for audiences and artists across the East."

Talent Development Producer for Mercury Theatre, Dilek Latif, said: "Throughout all three programmes classes will be supported by some of the best writers, producers and directors in the business; and as I know first-hand from building my career as a producer at the Mercury, there is no comparison to learning to shape your talent and your art with such supportive feedback from a broad variety of talented professionals."

Mercury's Artist Development Programme supports the nurturing of ground-breaking, local theatre makers. By providing time and space for researching, exploring and testing ideas, their aim is to aid local innovators. This year's cohort are all innovative, imaginative talents, and Mercury Theatre are overjoyed to be welcoming them and providing them with rigorous training in playwrighting, producing and directing, along with the space to platform their voices on their stages.

Gail Egbeson, former Mercury Playwright said, "Being part of Mercury Playwrights has aided me in more ways than I could imagine. Not only did it help me build my confidence as a writer but it's also given me a wonderful support system who constantly encourage me to believe in myself."

Ollie Harrington, former Mercury Director added, "Being on the Mercury Directors programme is a joy for any emerging director. We got to learn from some of the best in the industry through Ailin and the guest directors. Best of all, together with the Playwright and Producer Cohorts, we've made a community of creatives who will support and inspire each other wherever our journeys in theatre take us."

Mercury Playwrights 2022/23:

David Holland

Eilish Mullane

Emma Zadow

John Webber

Lydia Sabatini

Rohan Gotobed

Thomas Edwards

Tom Murray

Vanessa Ackerman

Mercury Producers 2022/23:

Bea Svistunenko

Claire Gilbert

Lydia Idakula

Marco Young

Mercury Directors 2022/23:

Elinor Dunton

Jane Prinsley

Jasmine Skingle

Matthew Jewson

Neetu Singh

Nicola Pollard

Find out more about the programme and the new cohort on Mercury Theatre's website: https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/blog/mercury-theatre-playwrights-producers-and-directors-2022-cohort-announced/