Elevate: announcing bespoke support for 23 local playwrights

“Our first Elevate script window, which will now run annually, was confirmation that the South West is full of writing talent,” says Parker, “Our readers were blown away with the quality and depth of storytelling in the scripts we received, and we are all delighted to be supporting this cohort of brilliant writers with a programme that has been built around them and what they need. We can’t wait to see what they write!”

Eleanor Hope Jones said “Being part of this cohort of South West writers is such a blessing at a time when the craft of playwrighting needs to be celebrated more than ever. I’m blown away by the time, care and attention Exeter Northcott has put into devising a unique scheme that responds to the needs of writers and the plays they are working on here and now. Writing for the midscale has felt so far away, it’s a thrilling opportunity to get to imagine larger worlds, places and characters than ever before.”

“Playwrights need to be connected with theatres in the South West so I’m delighted to be supported through the Elevate programme with Exeter Northcott Theatre.” added Dorset-based playwright and The Script’s The Thing Festival Director Ed Viney, “It’s challenging to develop new work and Elevate gives vital practical support. I’m really looking forward to great conversations, contact with actors, and developing my writing to play at varying scales for audiences.”

HANNAH ALI KHAN

Hannah Ali Khan is a Bristol-based writer for stage and screen with a love for the extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Her work is personal and inquisitive, blending drama with humour to create bold yet familiar characters rooted in today’s Britain. She is particularly interested in writing for and about young people, British Asians, and women, reflecting the worlds around her. Hannah has written several plays and been selected for schemes including the North Wall’s Catalyst, Kali Theatre’s Discovery, and Channel 4’s New Writers Scheme. Her play Cancer B*tch! received ACE funding and was performed at Offbeat Festival 2024.

BRENDA CALLIS

Brenda is an emerging queer playwright from Cornwall, now living in Bristol. She uses research and a community focus to tell unheard stories, writing dialogue-led drama with humour and pathos. Her plays have been performed across the South West, and she is passionate about encouraging new writing locally. Her plays have been shortlisted for the Mental Health Fringe Award, longlisted for the Papatango Prize, and she is currently developing drag-theatre show Smalltown Boy with Bristol Old Vic, which is looking to tour the South West and beyond early next year.

BEN CALLON

An award-losing playwright from East Devon…

Recently shortlisted for the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize with Birmingham Rep and BBC Comedy. Previously commissioned by Theatre West and performed at the Exeter Bike Shed (RIP) and Hen & Chickens in London. Dialogue-obsessed and delighted to be exploring new stories in the Devonshire motherland.

CHARLIE COLDFIELD

Charlie has worked as an actor for the last 20 years with the likes of The Wardrobe Ensemble, Wandering Tiger, Four of Swords, Minack Productions and Beyond Face. As a writer he has written and produced the plays The Going Rate, Granny Eyeball (with Wandering Tiger) and Clarke Andrews Tempest (as Coldfield and Causley) in addition to working as a devisor/performer, most recently for Alright Mate in Blind Spot. He is currently working on a new play Frankendodo, extracts of which have been performed at Lighthouse Poole and the Exeter Phoenix.

HATTIE COLLINS

Hattie is a Devon-based playwright writing about current issues from the perspective of local community. In 2023 she wrote and self-produced Kindle, a play that was awarded Arts Council funding and toured to venues in the South West and was nominated for the ORIGINS award at VAULT Festival in London. In 2024, she was recipient of a writer’s residency with Exeter Northcott Theatre. She is currently one of the Paines Plough mentored writers with their Tour The Writer scheme.

NASH COLUNDALUR

Nash is a journalist, screenwriter, and playwright. He won the Guardian International Development Journalism Award for his reporting on climate change-related conflicts in Kenya. His audio play, D is for Dwelling, which was broadcast on BBC3, was shortlisted for the UK International Audio Drama Awards. His play, The Trojan Horse, staged at the Omnibus London, won the Hammond House Best Play Award. Nash is currently developing a feature film based on the true story of a British Bangladeshi woman who challenges the Sicilian mafia.

IMOGEN FRANCES

Imogen (they/she) is a Manchester-born, Devon-bred, and London-based playwright and poet. They’re passionate about female-centred and queer stories. They’re writing is mostly auto-fictional and is always playful, provocative and raw. In 2022, they were commissioned, alongside co-writer Tanya Bridgeman (she/her), to adapt Romeo & Juliet into a contemporary queer spoken word play and created Star Cross’d, written entirely in iambic. Imogen’s play ; (pause before continuing) made the long-list for the RSC’s 37 Plays Award in 2023. And, most recently, their latest play; WOM(b)AN was selected to be part of the Reclaim Festival at Exeter Northcott’s Barnfield Theatre in 2024.

MOLLY GOOCH

I’m a South West-based theatrical artist originally from Ilfracombe, North Devon. As a multifaceted creative, I have experienced in a variety of theatrical fields and roles across the arts sector. This allows me to know the possibilities, challenges and limitations of creating new original work, from all creative perspectives. My theatrical work is and will always be rooted in research and real-life stories, exploring issues that can be difficult to communicate and often pushed aside by society and mainstream media. I am a firm believer in the use of theatre as a vehicle for breakdown barriers, cultivate understanding and creating real tangible change.

ROHAN GOTOBED

Rohan Gotobed (he/him) is a writer and director who cares deeply about forging new plays across the South West. As Artistic Director of Dorsetborn, his credits include Fort (SW Tour, Theatre 503); PRIDE (National Trust), and Georgia and the Iceberg (SW Tour). As a writer, he was selected for Channel 4 Drama’s New Writers Scheme (West & South West England) for 2022 – 23. He’s since been commissioned to write Destroy the Precious Things for Artful Scribe and MAST Studios, who have also supported his play Getting Closer, alongside Masterclass. He loves Exeter and looks forward to spending more time here.

LORI HILSON

Leaving school with GCSEs and a typing certificate, I temped in London and enjoyed short-term jobs abroad. After two A-Levels at evening class I completed a degree in Cultural Studies — I joined the student drama group and have loved theatre ever since.

I continued to enjoy life with my own family; fostering in Bristol; studying for a PGCE and teaching adults.  Zoom has allowed masterclasses (Theatre 503, Down Stage Write, Theatre West, Paines Plough), and a playwriting course with City Lit.

I am grateful to Stage-Wright Productions, (Happy Birthday Hetty), and Awkward Pigeon, (Appearances), for performing my plays.

ELEANOR HOPE JONES

Eleanor Hope-Jones is a writer-director based in Bristol. Her recent work includes Arts Council funded R&D of poetic play Séance in partnership with RashDash, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Creative Youth Network. Her short film, Vlogger, was commissioned through BBC’s New Creatives Scheme, funded by Arts Council England, and broadcast on BBC4. For five years, she was the artistic director of Palomar Theatre where she wrote and directed work like Stunner (Camden People’s Theatre), Plates (Theatre Royal Plymouth & Plymouth Conservatoire), Iconeak (Creative Youth Network) and Darlings (Edinburgh Fringe).As a facilitator, she’s worked for institutes like Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bath Theatre Academy, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and the National Youth Theatre.

EVA HUDSON

Eva Hudson is an English-Irish writer/director, who trained as a playwright at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her work, praised as “wonderful, inventive and thought-provoking” (John Hodge) and “very touching… very funny and then very beautifully tragic” (Rebecca Lenkiewicz), explores ambiguity, female pain, and communication. Eva has written four full-length plays; 855-FOR-TRUTH recently ran at The Hope Theatre (5*, Broadway World) and will transfer internationally. LIFE BEFORE YOU tours in late 2025. She also has a screen project in development with a TV production company, and recently wrote and directed her first short film, I Knew Her Before She Was A Virgin.

ALI MAY

Ali May is a British-Iranian writer with a keen interest in stories of societal and political relevance and characters that push boundaries. Born in post-revolutionary Iran, he grew up amid the longest war of the 20th century and came of age in a dictatorship. To find his voice, he moved to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in creative writing. He built a career as a journalist, reporting for Bloomberg,  euronews, and the BBC. These professional experiences, combined with his tumultuous personal journey, inform his bold and evocative storytelling. His original series Revolution is in development for France Télévisions.

NIA POWELL

Nia Powell trained as an actor at ALRA South, working with directors Emily Aboud (Evening Standard Future Theatre Award Winner, Bush Theatre, Theatre 503) and Paloma Oakenfold (Lyric Hammersmith, Channel 4). In association with Clean Break and The National Portrait Gallery. Nia has an MA in Playwriting & Dramaturgy from Goldsmiths where she worked with Geraldine Pilgrim (Hesitate and Demonstrate) and Rosamunde Hutt (Hijinx, Unicorn Theatre). Her debut play Parma Violets was performed at the VAULT festival (4★) and her most recent play Tears of Joy was performed at SOHO Theatre (rehearsed reading), Landmark Theatre, and Theatre Royal Plymouth (WIP, commission).

MICHAEL RAMUS

With a deep interest in communication and storytelling, Michael Ramus is an exciting modern writer for stage, screen and audio.

Michael Ramus is the author of Purusha — a sonic adventure, a new audio drama, Angels’ Share, a theatre script performed at the Perth Fringe and work-shopped with Bristol Old Vic, and Onion Soup a work-in-progress play about Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.

Michael is fascinated in the ways in which stories are told. Inspiration finds him where ever he finds himself, whether that be a ramble on the Isles of Scilly, an anecdote over dinner or an old European folk tale discovered on holiday.

PERDITA STOTT

Perdita Stott is a Devon-based playwright and workshop facilitator. Her work has been staged across the UK, including at Soho Theatre, the Underbelly at the Edinburgh Fringe, and, most recently, her play Ugly at the Tristan Bates Theatre. She was part of Soho Rising, and formerly a member of the award-nominated sketch group Kitten Killers. Perdita runs Moor Imagination, supporting community voices through creative writing. Her short fiction and poetry have been recognised in national competitions. Most recently, she was named a finalist in the London Independent Story Competition, with her latest work set to appear in their forthcoming anthology.

ED VINEY

Writer/director Ed Viney has worked with theatres across the South West and nationally, including the RSC, Bath Theatre Royal and Bristol Old Vic. He recently received the Creative Scotland Four Nations Award and is the Festival Director of The Script’s The Thing which last year saw over 70 scripts being presented, linking with venues across Dorset and organisations including BBC Writersroom and National Theatre New Work,

His play Pot licker was developed as part of a new scriptwriting initiative, Pipeline, at the Lighthouse Poole, and is produced by Dorchester Arts as part of a wider South West tour.

MONICA YELL

Monica Yell is an Exeter-based theatre maker who graduated from the University of York with a First-Class (Hons) degree in Theatre: Writing, Directing, and Performance (2023), receiving an award for the highest average grade in her cohort. She has written Heyday (upcoming) and Death Us Do Part (2024) for The Bear Pit, Stratford-upon-Avon; £9,250/Year for the Drama Barn, York (2020); and participated in Brighton Theatre Royal’s Young Playwrights course (2019) and Theatre503’s Advanced Playwrighting course (2024). She is currently writing Do You Want To Know? for Barnstaple Fringe TheatreFest, after presenting it at Exeter Phoenix’s Scratch Night with newly-formed company Overmorrow Theatre.