New Writing North is supporting Durham County Council to find a writer for a brand new play they are commissioning. The play will be part of the Council’s First World War Centenary commemorations. It will explore the war from a County Durham perspective, both at home and on the frontline.
The inspiration for the play is the story of the "Fighting Bradfords": four brothers from the small village of Witton Park with an extraordinary record of military service during the war. The brothers collectively received two Victoria Crosses, a Distinguished Service Order and two Military Crosses. Three of them paid with their lives.
More generally, the work will rediscover stories from the local area, exploring the war’s impact for communities at home and the post-war effects on those communities, addressing universal themes such as bravery, strength, love and hope.
The Gala Theatre will commission a writer to create the play and appoint a director to bring their vision to life. The final mid-scale production will premiére at the Gala Theatre in Durham in September 2016, commemorating the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
The play is commissioned by Durham County Council and the Communities of the Bishop Auckland & Shildon area. An education and outreach project involving young people from five local schools will run in tandem with the production. There is the opportunity for the writer to be involved in the development and delivery of this project should they wish.
Further Information
- Fee circa £7,000 + royalty payment
- Access to research materials at the Durham County Records Office and Archives and the Durham Light Infantry collection can be arranged, as can the chance to meet local families, individuals and groups with relevant links and stories to tell.
Expressions of interest should be submitted to [email protected] no later than Sunday 1 November in the following format:
- Writer’s CV
- Ten pages of an existing script
- A one-page treatment outlining the intended approach to the archive material and historic content.
Further information is available on the New Writing North web site.