'All Of Them, Dead' in research and development

I am delighted to be Dramaturg for an amazing new play for young people by Thom Munden called ‘All of Them, Dead’.

Harry and Corey meet in an abandoned burger shop during the apocalypse. As they fall in love, the country falls apart.

All Of Them, Dead is a play about being young and gay in the middle of nowhere. It’s about the things that go unsaid, it’s about two boys holding hands, it’s about clinging together as the world changes around you. And it’s about meat falling from the sky (no, really).

Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and The Day Of The Triffids, All Of Them, Dead is a sharp, funny and touching queer love story for the end of the world.

The project is currently in research and development with Pegaus Theatre, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Prime Theatre, funded by Arts Council England.

‘Lily's Special Recipe’ @ Oxford Brookes Science Bazaar

Storyteller Amantha Edmead

I am Directing a new storytelling performance for young people aged 5-12 years old with the wonderful Human Story Theatre as part of Oxford Brookes Science Bazaar on 1 March 2025.

There will be three opportunities throughout the day to see ‘Lily’s Special Recipe’ performed by Amantha Edmead, and written by Dr Shelly Coe (Oxford Brookes), based on her research in sustainable, healthy nutrition. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Shelly, Amantha and the Human Story Theatre team to dramaturgically support the development of this new play.

The whole event is FREE to attend
Sponsored by Morgan Sindall Construction

'Remember Me' by Lekha Desai Morrison

I will soon direct 'Remember Me' by Lekha Desai Morrison, a family drama about living well with dementia.

When Sally finds that her artist husband Jack is losing interest in painting, she gradually learns that the problem is much deeper than it seems at first.  With the support of her daughter Keira, they go on a journey of learning to understand and manage his condition with compassion, warmth, humour and love.

The show plays the Key Theatre, Peterborough on 6-7 March and the Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford on 14-15 March.

Remember Me is a Fir Tree Theatre production in collaboration with Landmark Theatres UK, and funded by Arts Council England.

‘Cinderella Ice Cream Seller’ runs until 31 December at The Story Museum, Oxford

Cinderella Ice Cream Seller has opened at The Woodshed Theatre within the Story Museum Oxford and runs until 31 December 2024. It then tours the UK from February - May 2025.

Starring David Gibb and Lauren Harthorpe

Written and composed by David Gibb

Produced by Little Seeds and The Story Museum

Directed by Tristan Jackson-Pate

Dramaturgy by Renata Allen

Design by Victoria Spearing

Props by Jana Lakatos

Lighting by Nomi Everall

Sound by James Ball

Stage Management by Tamsin Youngson and Annie Tebay

Photography by Andrew Walmsley


Directing 'Cinderella Ice Cream Seller' at the Story Museum this Christmas

L-R Lauren Harthorpe and David Gibb in ‘Cinderella Ice Cream Seller’

I’m thrilled to direct Cinderella Ice Cream Seller a new storytelling musical by the wonderful David Gibb, who I most recently worked with on ‘Jack!’ in 2023.

The show will open at The Story Museum, Oxford on 21 December 2024 and tour the UK from February 2025.

Written and composed by David Gibb
Design by Victoria Spearing
Lighting by Nomi Everall

Directing 'Jack!' By David Gibb this Spring

I will soon direct a new musical for families ‘Jack!’ at The Met, Bury.

About the show:
Have you heard about Jack? 
Come on, tell us a tale, 
When you need a good story, 
Jack never fails! 

For as long as tales have been told, the character of Jack has been a constant presence in stories. Sometimes clever and cunning, sometimes lazy and foolish, but always coming out on top, fairy tales, folklore and nursery rhymes are full of tales of a lad named Jack. 

Now, in this new musical for families and children, discover the truth behind the original fairytale hero. Join Jack in his many guises as he seeks his fortune, finds the love of his life, learns the perils of a pail of water and, of course, takes on the fearsome giant. 

JACK! features traditional stories, original songs and live music and storytelling. With lots of opportunities to join in, plus brilliant live music, families will be singing along before you can say Fee Fie Fo Fum! 

The creative team are as follows:

Book, music and lyrics by: David Gibb
Cast: David Gibb, Oli Matthews, Sean Law
Design: Liz Cooke
Dramaturgy: Renata Allen

A new play for the 'Enact' programme

I’m writing a new play based on the experiences of young people for People’s Theatre Collective in 2023.

Endorsed by the Thames Valley Office for the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), PTC will deliver a series of arts-based programmes to secondary schools in Banbury and the surrounding areas, as part of the wider Safer Streets offering, funded by the Home Office.

The 'Enact' intervention will explore themes of healthy relationships and schools-based gendered abuse using creative art forms to promote and encourage thought-provoking conversation. Through a series of classroom based workshops, students will design and deliver arts-based workshops to younger students in their school alongside plays devised and performed by professional creatives and shared in a professional setting.

I’ll join three other playwrights on the first phase of project. The plays will be produced in March 2023, directed by Emelia Hutchinson.

Song of the Summer opens 11 August at The Picturedrome, Northampton

I’m currently in rehearsals for his new gig theatre play ‘Song of the Summer’, a co-production between Cherwell Theatre Company and Royal & Derngate. The show plays at The Picturedrome from 11-21 August.

The cast and creative team are as follows:

Charles Sloboda-Bolton I Alex

Roberta Carraro I Rachel

Matt Leaman I Leo Delainey

Olivia Bennett I Max

Robert Elliott I Owen

Writer & Director I Tristan Jackson-Pate

Movement Director I Hlamalani Georgina Graaff Makhubele

Musical Director I Adrian Banks

Assistant Director I Michael Deacon

Dramaturg I Nasser Memarzia

Stage Manager I Tessa Gaukroger

Production Manager I Claire Hardacre

Set Designer I Victoria Spearing

Lighting Designer I Rachel Luff

Sound Engineer I Geoff Kirk

Sound Engineer I Steve Dee

Poster & Digital Designer I Rebecca Pitt

Sam and Zoe Vs Evermore on tour until April 30

My new play ‘Sam and Zoe Vs Evermore’, co-written with Jess Lloyd-Jones and Krage Brown is now on tour.

The show visits the following venues:

18 March, 7.30pm : The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury 

19 March, 7.30pm : The Brewhouse, Taunton 

23 and 24 March, 7.30pm : Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford 

25 March, 7.30pm : Worthing Theatres 

29 March, 7.30pm: South Hill Park, Bracknell 

30 March, 7.30pm : Wells Maltings 

01 April, 7.30pm : The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton - BSL Interpreted and audio described performance 

02 April, 7.30pm : Harrogate Theatre 

27 April, 7.30pm : The Place, Bedford 

30 April, 8.00pm : Royal & Derngate Theatres, Northampton 

Photography by Rosy Addison, Set and Costume Design by Rebecca Martin, Lighting by Rachel Luff


Song of the Summer

My next production as a writer/director will be ‘Song of the Summer’, playing at the Picturedrome Music Venue Northampton from August 11-28 2022.

This piece, co-produced by Cherwell Theatre Company and Royal & Derngate has been in development for several years. Arts Council England Funded research and development with Birmingham Old Rep Theatre in 2019 and Royal & Derngate supported further digital work in 2020 as part of their ‘Generate Festival’.

The play will be staged in August following weeks of outreach and community work with young people in Northampton, who will perform alongside professional actor musicians in the show itself.

More information on the cast and creative team will be released in due course.