Playwriting Course

Rosemary started her career as an English and Drama teacher in Leicester where she worked for seven years, two of these as Head of English and Drama in a large comprehensive school. During this time she developed her interest in directing and writing for both the theatre and broadcast media. She trained as an actress at the Drama Studio, London, and worked on the London fringe before joining the BBC in 1989 as a producer and director for the BBC Open University Production Centre and subsequently BBC Education in London. Since going freelance in 1999 she has continued to work as a director in TV, film, video, radio, theatre and new media and as a consultant for such clients as the BBC, DCSF, Innovation Unit, NSCL, Open University, ERA, NESTA, UK Film Council, Synectics and Creative Partnerships. She has written academic courses and books as well as narrative scripts and radio plays for the BBC. She is a member of Stage Directors UK, Directors Charitable Foundation and Equity.

Neil Beardmore won the Sussex Playwrights’ Prize and The Richard Burton Poetry Award before gaining an MA in Creative Writing. As a teacher he has led many writing groups including Tighter Writer Courses for adults. He has worked with and developed script ideas with Soho Theatre and has had three productions of his plays culminating in the 2014 ‘The Play’s The Thing’ MK Fringe professional production of his play ‘Pristine In Blue’ directed by Rosemary Hill, for which he also wrote, performed and recorded two songs, and which featured a complimentary exhibition of his paintings in the theatre foyer. ‘Pristine In Blue’ achieved much acclaim and received praise in MayBe Magazine’s review. Mike Elliston is presently helping him develop a play set in India, and he is currently touring a slideshow of his paintings and photos alongside his poetry and sections from his plays.

Mike has been a writer since 1983 when he won a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival followed by the Yorkshire TV award at the NSDF. He has worked as a writer and script editor on network TV programmes and has previously worked for the literary departments of the RNT, Kings Head, Arts Council and Bill Kenwright Ltd. He has written numerous plays for the London and Edinburgh Fringe as well as touring companies from SNAP People’s Theatre and Theatre Venture. His latest play, TRAILER/trash was awarded an Arts Council of England R&D grant with funding from the National Lottery. Mike is also a Creative Producer for the Salon Collective in London where he mentors emerging writers through its salon:lab scheme and from that he is co-producing a new writer’s play at the 2015 Camden Fringe, as well as mentoring and producing for a comedy one woman show. Mike is keen to help writers realise their potential by helping them through the pragmatic aspects of playwriting, concentrating on how to self-produce or write for the stage with a production in mind.