Paines Plough
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Paines Plough is a British touring theatre company founded in 1974, currently led by artistic directors Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner.
The company commissions, develops and produces new plays for touring, and helps playwrights develop their craft. Since its foundation, it has commissioned the early works of hundreds of writers, including James Graham, Sarah Kane, Dennis Kelly, Miriam Battye, Nick Payne, Abi Morgan, Duncan Macmillan, Mike Bartlett, Anna Jordan, Sam Steiner, Vinay Patel, Zia Ahmed and Kae Tempest.[citation needed]
Over the past five decades, Paines Plough has produced work by a wide range of playwrights across the UK and abroad. Collaboration with other theatre organisations is a feature of the company’s work; since 2010 the company has co-produced every show it has worked on with either a venue or a touring partner.[citation needed]
History
[edit]Paines Plough was formed over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub in Bolnhurst, Bedford, by writer David Pownall, director John Adams, with the actor Chris Crooks.[citation needed] Their first play Crates on Barrels, written by Pownall for Crooks to perform, opened at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 1975.[citation needed] In 1976, the company achieved further success with Pownall’s play, Music to Murder By, leading to a Fringe First and Arts Council funding.[citation needed]
In 2019, the joint artistic directors Katie Posner and Charlotte Bennett were approached by producer Ellie Keel to co-found an award for female and non-binary playwrights.[citation needed] They launched the Women's Prize for Playwriting together at the end of that year and have continued their support for the prize since then, co-producing the 2021 winners Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me by Amy Trigg and You Bury Me by Ahlam, and the 2022 winner Consumed by Karis Kelly which will tour in 2025.[1]
Artistic directors
[edit]| Artistic director(s) | Years active |
|---|---|
| John Adams | 1974–1982 |
| John Chapman | 1982–1985 |
| Pip Broughton | 1985–1990 |
| Anna Furse | 1990–1994 |
| Penny Ciniewicz | 1994–1997 |
| Vicky Featherstone | 1997–2005 |
| Roxana Silbert | 2005–2010 |
| James Grieve
George Perrin |
2010–2019 |
| Katie Posner
Charlotte Bennett |
2019–present |
Roundabout
[edit]Roundabout is Paines Plough's touring in-the-round auditorium. Roundabout was designed by Lucy Osborne[2] and Emma Chapman[3] in collaboration with Charcoalblue[4] and Howard Eaton.[5] It was built and developed by Factory Settings.[6]
In 2010, Roundabout was commissioned, with a prototype built in 2011 with Sheffield Theatres. The opening season of Roundabout consisted of three new plays performed in repertory One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne, Lungs by Duncan Macmillan and The Sound of Heavy Rain by Penelope Skinner.[citation needed]
In 2014, Roundabout was re-imagined to allow for touring. As part of Paines Plough's 40th anniversary celebrations a new season was commissioned for Roundabout. The plays debuted at Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Summerhall: Our Teacher's A Troll by Dennis Kelly, The Initiate by Alexandra Wood and Lungs and Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan. After the run in Edinburgh, Roundabout toured nationally to: Corn Exchange, Margate Theatre Royal, Hackney Showroom and The Civic in Barnsley.[7]
Roundabout won the Theatre Building of the Year award at The Stage Awards in 2015.[8]
Notable productions
[edit]- Crates on Barrels by David Pownall
- Music to Murder By by David Pownall
- Songs for Stray Cats and Other Living Creatures by Donna Franceschild
- The Clink by Stephen Jeffreys
- Crave by Sarah Kane
- Splendour by Abi Morgan
- Orphans by Dennis Kelly
- After the End by Dennis Kelly
- Mercury Fur by Philip Ridley
- Wasted by Kae Tempest
- Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
- Lungs by Duncan Macmillan
- The Angry Brigade by James Graham
- Love Love Love by Mike Bartlett
- One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne
- Sticks and Stones by Vinay Patel
- You Stupid Darkess! by Sam Steiner
- Pop Music by Anna Jordan
- Run Sister Run by Chloe Moss
- I Wanna Be Yours by Zia Ahmed
- Dexter & Winter's Detective Agency by Nathan Bryon
- Hungry by Chris Bush
- Reasons You Should(n't) Love Me by Amy Trigg
- You Bury Me by Ahlam
- Strategic Love Play by Miriam Battye
- Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz by Nathan Queeley-Dennis
- My Mother's Funeral: The Show by Kelly Jones
References
[edit]- ^ "About - The Women's Prize for Playwriting". 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2024-09-25.
- ^ "The Big Interview: Lucy Osborne | Interviews | The Stage". The Stage. 2015-06-14. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Emma Chapman Freelance Lighting Designer". emmachapman.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "CHARCOALBLUE Theatre and Acoustics consultants". www.charcoalblue.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Home". www.helluk.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Factory Settings | Scenic Construction". www.factorysettings.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Paines Plough Blog » Blog Archive » Roundabout Autumn Tour". www.painesplough.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
- ^ "Stage awards honour theatre industry". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-05-04.