St Mary’s Masters Students’ Plays to be Showcased at Directors’ Festival

Three students on the Theatre Directing MA at St Mary’s University, Twickenham will have their plays showcased at the Orange Tree Theatre’s Directors’ Festival later this year.

The three productions, which have been directed by students Dominique Chapman, Evangeline Cullingworth and Samson Hawkins, will each be shown five times at the festival which will take place at the theatre in Richmond between 13^th and 21^st July.

All three students are part of the second cohort of the unique Masters course which provides theatre directors of the future with an exciting year-long training based at the Orange Tree, who St Mary’s partners with to offer the degree.

Dominique’s production Precious Little Talent, written by Ella Hickson, written by follows Joey, a disillusioned English graduate who arrives in New York to visit her estranged father at a time when the country is buzzing with the election of a new President. She falls for an idealistic young American and must decide if she can let go of her fears and believe in the American Dream again.

Evangeline’s production In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises), written by Nina Segal, is about two new parents who are trying to get their crying baby daughter to sleep but when their fears and anxieties come to life they worry maybe bringing a child into the world wasn’t such a good idea. 

The final play to be shown is Samson’s eponymous Katie Johnstone, written by Luke Barnes, which sees Katie dream big by wanting to start a business that will make millions while writing poems, ignoring those who just want her to get a boyfriend and work in a supermarket.

Academic Director for Drama at St Mary’s Patsy Gilbert said, “This is fantastic news and continues the early success of the Master’s degree, which in its debut year last year saw alumnus Max Elton’s The End of Hope premiere in Soho Theatre and I can’t wait to watching these amazing productions which have been directed by our brilliant hard-working students.”

 Tickets for the Directors’ Festival are £8.50 and can be booked on the Orange Tree Theatre website.