Students’ short plays set to shine on stage (From Gazette)

Students’ short plays set to shine on stage

6:00pm Thursday 28th June 2012 in Theatre By Neil D'Arcy-Jones

AUNIQUE opportunity to see brand new work from some of Essex University’s leading writers takes place this weekend.

As part of the event, there’s also a once-in-a-lifetime chance for two students to show their work alongside them.

A playwriting competition asked students to write a 15-minute play based on the theme of time and memory.

Now Robin Marchal and Luke Hayes will be showcasing their work next to renowned authors, poets and playwrights such as Jonathan Lichtenstein, Marina Warner, Rebecca Prichard, Glyn Maxwell, Phil Terry and Paul Sirett.

They too have all written new 15 minute plays.

Luke says: “It feels really weird to have won the competition. I entered just thinking that it’d be good to at least put my work out there and show people what I can do, but I never really believed that I might win.

“I dreamt about it obviously, but I don’t really win things, so it was a huge and very exciting surprise to be named one of the winners.”

His play is called Acorns and Glitter and is about a mother and daughter coming to terms with the loss of the youngest boy in the family.

Directed by Gari Jones, renowned for his work with the Mercury Theatre, they are being performed by students from the university’s Centre for Theatre Studies.

Who’s There, Lakeside Theatre, Square 5, Essex University.

Saturday 7.30pm.

£7, concessions £5, university students £3.

01206 873288