Customs House appoints new writer

Published: 16 April 2018
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Reese Connolly

The Customs House in South Shields has appointed its first Young Writer in Residence as part of The Takeover Festival 2018.

Young writers under the age of 25 were asked to submit a synopsis and up to 15 minutes of a play inspired by ‘place’ and Reece Connolly, 24, from Prudhoe, Northumberland, was chosen after impressing the judges with his play, Wormtown.

Fiona Martin, Deputy Director—Learning and Participation at The Customs House, who was one of the judging panel along with writer Lauren Turner and director Jake Smith—said, “we thought that Wormtown had so much potential, and that Reece had shown clear skill, voice and imagination in his response to place and we want to see where this play goes.”

Connolly, who has been based in East London since studying drama at Queen Mary University, is looking forward to bringing something new to The Customs House stage.

Wormtown was inspired by the tale of the Lambton Worm and classic horror and science-fiction to create a fantastical new legend for 2018,” he said.

“It is set in the modern-day and packed with twists and turns, all told with traditional north east humour, warmth and steel. Think Stephen King with Geordie accents!

“I'm so excited to be working with The Customs House in bringing it to life. I think it's going to be really different to anything people will have seen on the stage before.”

He will now work with Turner and Smith to bring his script to the stage as part of the Takeover, which runs from 28 May to 1 June 2018, and a preview reading of the play will also take place during The WRITE Festival at The Word in South Shields on Thursday 24 May.

Wormtown will be performed at 7:30PM on Friday 1 June by a cast of eight young people from the area, who will rehearse during a five-day residency at The Customs House during the Festival, and it will then transfer to Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle on Saturday 16 June as part of Newcastle’s first Youth Fringe Festival.

Connolly is a member and founder of Red Cape Black Cape Theatre, one of New Diorama Theatre’s 2017 Emerging Graduate Companies and shortlisted for Pleasance Theatre’s 2018 Charlie Hartill Award.

He has written, directed and performed in shows that have sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe (A Fistful of Hunny, 2015) and the London Horror Festival (The Stomaching, 2017).

He has also written for Flux Theatre, The Pensive Federation and Comedians Theatre Company and has been part of two consecutive writers groups at the Royal Court Theatre, facilitated by Ali McDowell.

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