Award-winning playwright Jennifer Lunn is working with the current cohort of Sherman Theatre’s Introduction to Playwriting programme to develop a new play to be performed by the Sherman Youth Theatre in Spring 2025.
Sherman’s free Introduction to Playwriting programme offers young people aged 15-18 opportunities to explore and develop their creative writing skills and is funded by the Moondance Foundation. Previous mentors and guest writers have included some of Wales’ most successful artists, including Nia Morais, Connor Allen, Catherine Paskell, Kyle Lima, Matthew Trevannion, Catherine Dyson, Elen Bowman, Rahim El Habachi and Hannah McPake.
Following a commissioning process which saw four professional writers pitch their ideas to the young cohort, Jennifer’s pitch was selected. She will write the new play, which the young writers will develop, over Spring 2024.
Older members of Sherman Youth Theatre, the company’s weekly youth theatre programme for ages 8-18, will perform the as-yet-untitled play as SYT’s annual Spring Production 2025.
This marks the first time the two programmes have collaborated.
Artistic Director Joe Murphy said: “This is a huge milestone for Sherman Theatre; a creative pipeline leading from young writers to young theatre makers, led by one of Wales’ most exciting playwrights. It has massive potential not only to produce an innovative new work but to inspire new and diverse voices in theatre.”
Chief Executive Julia Barry said: “We thank the Moondance Foundation for their generous support in making the Introduction to Playwriting programme possible. This exciting new collaboration between two of Sherman Theatre’s key creative development programmes is a perfect example of the kind of joined-up practice we try to model.”
Jennifer said: “These young writers are so exciting, it’s a total privilege to be collaborating with them on this project. Massive shout out to the Sherman for giving us this opportunity to work as a writers’ room and write a large-scale show. Watch this space; we’re plotting something brilliant!”