BBC Arts and Avalon announce today the casting and directors for DEBUT – a unique new initiative enabling four professional creatives - Bim Adewunmi, Katherine Parkinson, Beryl Richards and Frank Skinner - who have never written for the stage before to create their debut play. All four plays will be directed by emerging directors giving a new generation of talent an opportunity to direct a play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018.
Sarah Bedi (All Places that the Eye of Heaven Visits), Tinuke Craig (random/generations), Polina Kalinina (Gifted) and Jane Moriarty (Because) will direct the four plays and make their Edinburgh Theatre debuts. Casting includes James Alexandrou (EastEnders) in Sitting; Rob Auton (Rob Auton: The Talk Show also at Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and Breffni Holahan (Everything Not Saved also at Edinburgh Festival Fringe) in Nina’s Got News; Stuart Milligan (Jonathan Creek) in Diamond and Faith Alabi (Belleville) in Hoard.
DIAMOND
Diamond, by director Beryl Richards (six-time Bafta award-winning and two-time Emmy-nominated TV and film director known for projects including Joe All Alone, The Secret Life Of Boys, Uncle Dad, My Life As A Popat) will be directed by Jane Moriarty and follows successful surgeon Jordan, who
embarks on a journey of discovery, revelation and redemption following his estranged mother’s death. The cast are Nancy Baldwin (Night of the Iguana), Jenny Lee (Hollyoaks), Eoin Lynch (Ripper Street), Amy McAllister (Call The Midwife) and Stuart Milligan (Jonathan Creek).
HOARD
Hoard by journalist Bim Adewunmi (senior culture editor for BuzzFeed News and columnist for the Guardian) will be directed by Tinuke Craig and tells the story of three sisters and their mother as they face up to old hurts and upspoken tensions. The cast are Faith Alabi (Belleville), Babirye Bukilwa (Filthy Business), Pepter Lukunse (Nell Gwynn), John Omole (Hollyoaks) and Lucy Vandi (School of Rock).
SITTING
Sitting by actor Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Doc Martin, The Honourable Woman, Humans) will be directed by Sarah Bedi and tells the story of three people, years apart from each other, who are sitting for a painting in artist’s studio. The cast are James Alexandrou (EastEnders) and Grace Hogg Robinson (The Durrells) and Hayley Jayne Standing (Downton Abbey).
NINA’S GOT NEWS
Nina’s Got News by writer and comedian Frank Skinner (Room 101, Portrait Artist Of The Year, Don’t Start) will be directed by Polina Kalinina and is about Nina’s truly incredible news, how her ex- boyfriend and her best friend react to it, and whether they can possibly believe her. The cast are Rob Auton (Rob Auton: The Talk Show), Jessica Clark (Call The Midwife) and Breffni Holahan (Everything Not Saved).
Jonty Claypole, the BBC’s Director of Arts, said:
“We are delighted to be able to announce such an excellent range of directors and cast to join the writers working on these plays. Debut is all about mixing talents from the worlds of theatre and broadcast, and creating and developing new work that may have an afterlife across these areas.”
Jon Thoday, Joint MD of Avalon, said:
“We are excited to be bringing to Edinburgh a group of writers who have never written a play for the stage before and pleased to be partnering with BBC arts in this venture which we hope will bring some new interesting new works to fringe audiences for years to come.”
For 70 years, the Edinburgh Fringe has been the birthplace of critically-acclaimed breakout productions including Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1966) and Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee’s Jerry Springer The Opera (2002), whilst writers such as Jez Butterworth (aged just 19) and Enda Walsh found early success with respective plays Cooking in a Bedsitter (1991) and Disco Pigs (1997) there too.
DEBUT embraces the Edinburgh Fringe as the platform it was designed for, as an environment for creative collaborations and new work to be seen and evolve, ready for whatever might happen beyond the Fringe.
The Plays
Diamond (Underbelly Bistro Square, The Dairy Room, 1-26 August, 4.15pm). By Beryl Richards
Directed by Jane Moriarty
Designed by Louie Whitemore
Lighting by Sarah Louise McColgan Sound by Ed Lewis
Beryl Richards is a multi-Bafta Award-winning and Emmy-nominated TV and film director best known for Joe All Alone (BBC), The Secret Life of Boys (BBC/ABC), Uncle Dad (ITV), My Life As A Popat (ITV) and The Ward (ITV). As a specialist in family and children’s comedy and drama, Beryl was elected chair of Directors UK in 2015 and won the 2016 Women in Film and TV ITV Achievement Of The Year Award. Diamond is her first ever play.
"I just had to see you. I... just y’know... just once. Once. I needed to."
Reunited with the mother who abandoned him at birth, successful surgeon Jordan rejects her. Shortly after his mother’s death, he realizes that he may never know the truth about his origins. Everything changes when a mysterious young woman arrives unexpectedly, sparking Jordan to embark on a journey of discovery, revelation, and redemption.
Hoard (Underbelly Cowgate, White Belly, 1-26 August, 5.20pm by Bim Adewunmi
Directed by Tinuke Craig
Designed by Susannah Henry
Lighting by Sarah Louise McColgan Sound by Ed Lewis
Hoard is the debut play by Bim Adewunmi, senior culture writer for BuzzFeed News and columnist with Guardian Weekend. She is a 2018 finalist at the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) Ellie Awards, and her work has appeared in Vogue, Mslexia, Red, and Monocle, among several others. Hoard is Bim’s first every play.
"If I hadn't come here this evening, when would I have met him?"
Rafi and Ami are about to meet their little sister’s boyfriend for the first time. Out of the blue, their mother arrives. Wura often shows up unannounced, and it’s never been a problem - except this time, it is. Why doesn’t she know Brian exists? For this close-knit family a secret has explosive consequences, one that forces the three sisters and their mother to face up to old hurts and unspoken tensions.
Sitting (Gilded Balloon Teviot, The Dining Room, 1-26 August, 3.15pm). by Katherine Parkinson
Directed by Sarah Bedi
Designed by Susannah Henry
Lighting by Sarah Louise McColgan Sound by Ed Lewis
Sitting is the debut play by Bafta Award-winning actress Katherine Parkinson, whose credits include The IT Crowd (Channel 4), Doc Martin (ITV), The Honourable Woman (BBC Two) and Humans (Channel 4). Sometimes emotional, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, Parkinson turns her talents to playwriting for the first time in her extensive career. Sitting is Katherine’s first ever play.
"Do you even need me here? I think you do. Actually."
In an artist’s studio, three different people sit for a painting. They find themselves in the same chair for very different reasons and years apart from each other, but they are all searching for a connection. Will they find it?
Nina’s Got News (Pleasance, Queen Dome, 1-26 August, 2.50pm). By Frank Skinner
Directed by Polina Kalinina
Designed by Louie Whitemore
Lighting by Sarah Louise McColgan Sound by Ed Lewis
In 1987 Frank Skinner spent £400 of the last £435 in his bank account to book a venue at the Edinburgh Fringe for the first time. Four years later he took home the Perrier Award (now Edinburgh Comedy Award) - the most prestigious prize in comedy. His first book spent 46 weeks in the Sunday Times Bestseller List. His first single, Three Lions, has gone to number one on three separate occasions. He’s written and fronted television programmes including Fantasy Football, The Frank Skinner Show and Room 101. His radio show has won three gold ARIAs and saw him inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. Nina’s Got News is Frank’s first ever play.
A show about Nina’s truly incredible news, how her ex-boyfriend and her best friend react to it, and whether they can possibly believe her.
