Simon Mendes da Costa Joins Marlowe Theatre as Literary Associate

Playwright Simon Mendes da Costa will take up his position next month and will head new playwriting sessions and be the leading player on a reading panel, which is also new.

The Marlowe's Head of Creative Projects, Danny Lipman, said Simon is a valued addition to the team. "There's no one better to run these sessions - which will be inspirational, educational and exciting. We are looking forward to working with him and to developing our creative department even further."

Whitstable resident Simon (55) is well qualified for the position: his play Losing Louis premiered at The Hampstead Theatre, London, in 2005 and starred Lynda Bellingham and Alison Steadman. It went on to a West End run, UK and international tours. It also had a separate production on Broadway.

However, Simon was a late starter as a writer, working as a computer programmer and estate agent before embarking on an acting evening class in London, where he was then living, purely to "improve my social life."

The acting bug had bitten, and he worked with an amateur company for three years, and, at the age of 31, went to drama school at the Bristol Old Vic. After graduating, Simon worked in repertory theatre, supplementing his income by working as a computer programmer.

He said: "I met a woman who ran a writer's group and I decided to go along because I've always liked to be part of something, part of a group. I was there for three weeks when I was asked what I wrote - I said: 'Do I have to?' and they said 'It is a writer's group, you know!'

"Well, I had to write something for the next week and that was the first time I put pen to paper."

Over the coming months Simon struggled to write a short story, eventually giving up and deciding to write a sketch based on the breakdown of a relationship instead, something he had first-hand experience of. On presenting it to the group he was told it was the best thing he had ever written, so decided to develop the characters further and his first play emerged. Table For One opened at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in Highbury, London, in 2001.

He never looked back, and in 2005 - the same year as Losing Louis - he was nominated for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Awards. He has written several more plays, and, with a producer and director on board, he is now in development for his next play.

Simon was delighted when The Marlowe asked him to be its first Literary Associate. He said: "I very much wanted to be part of something again and this is an exciting and interesting opportunity for me, the theatre, and hopefully, all those who take part in the workshops and those who submit new writing.

"They are for anyone - people who have never written before, or those who have been doing it for a while. They will gain experience and confidence and what I want at the end of the course is for people to have written their own piece, based on whatever they like.

"Finding your own voice takes time and I know how difficult writing is, but it is something you can do!"

The Marlowe will be running three different playwriting sessions: Marlowe's Young Writers, aimed at those aged 13 to 18, Marlowe's Speakeasy and Marlowe's Playwrights, both for those aged 18 and over.

All sessions start mid-September and places are limited; for further details and to book, call the Box Office on 01227 787787, or go to marlowetheatre.com.

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