Bush Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush
, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up storytelling, the theatre holds a maximum audience
of approximately 80. In 2007 the Bush Theatre appointed Josie Rourke
its Artistic Director.
The Bush runs a Writers Development Programme, with an open script submissions policy, and reads over 1,000 scripts each year. The theatre looks for exciting new voices that tell contemporary stories with wit, style and passion, and champions work that is both provocative and entertaining.
A seedbed for the best new playwright
s, many of whom have gone on to become established names in the industry, The Bush has won over 100 awards, and also continues to attract major acting and directing talent, regularly touring its work nationally and internationally and transferring productions into the West End
.
On 12 November 2010, the Bush Theatre announced it would be leaving its home of nearly forty years on Shepherd's Bush Green and moving to the old Shepherd's Bush Library
building on Uxbridge Rd which it did in October 2011.
Shepherd's Bush
-Commerce:Commercial activity in Shepherd's Bush is now focused on the Westfield shopping centre next to Shepherd's Bush Central line station and on the many small shops which run along the northern side of the Green....
, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up storytelling, the theatre holds a maximum audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
of approximately 80. In 2007 the Bush Theatre appointed Josie Rourke
Josie Rourke
Josie Rourke is a British theatre director.She attended St Patricks RC High School in Eccles, Salford and her first notable work was as assistant director to Peter Gill in his premiere of The York Realist in 2002...
its Artistic Director.
The Bush runs a Writers Development Programme, with an open script submissions policy, and reads over 1,000 scripts each year. The theatre looks for exciting new voices that tell contemporary stories with wit, style and passion, and champions work that is both provocative and entertaining.
A seedbed for the best new playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
s, many of whom have gone on to become established names in the industry, The Bush has won over 100 awards, and also continues to attract major acting and directing talent, regularly touring its work nationally and internationally and transferring productions into the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
.
On 12 November 2010, the Bush Theatre announced it would be leaving its home of nearly forty years on Shepherd's Bush Green and moving to the old Shepherd's Bush Library
Shepherd's Bush Public Library
The Shepherd's Bush Public Library was built in 1895 on the Uxbridge Road, Shepherd's Bush, London, funded by the journalist and philanthopist Passmore Edwards, whose name the building bears to this day.-History:...
building on Uxbridge Rd which it did in October 2011.
Current and Announced Future Productions
- 10 March - 10 April 2010, Eigengrau by Penelope SkinnerPenelope SkinnerPenelope Skinner is a British playwright who came to prominence after her play Fucked was first produced in 2008 at the Old Red Lion Theatre and the Edinburgh Festival to huge critical acclaim and has had successive plays staged in London including at the Bush Theatre, National Theatre with an...
- 16 April - 22 May 2010, A Little Gem by Elaine Murphy
- 7 June - 10 July 2010, Like A Fishbone by Anthony Weigh
- 28 July - 14 August 2010, The Great British Country Fete by Russell Kane and Michael Bruce
- 20 October - 27 November 2010, My Romantic History by D C JacksonD C JacksonD.C. Jackson is a Scottish playwright. His first full length play The Wall premiered at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow in 2008. It was produced by Borderline Theatre Company and was nominated for several awards including the Best New Play at the Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland and the Saltire...
Selected Past Productions
- 20 January - 27 February 2010, The Whisky Taster by James Graham
- 15–18 December 2009, The Contingency Plan: A Reading, by Steve Waters
- 2 December 2009 - 9 January 2010, The Stefan Golaszewski Plays by Stefan Golaszewski
- 17 October - 21 November 2009, If There is I Haven't Found it Yet by Nick PayneNick PayneNick Payne is a British playwright who studied at the University of York and subsequently at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He is also a graduate of the Royal Court Young Writer's Programme...
- 8 September - 10 November 2009, 2nd May 1997 by Jack ThorneJack Thorne (writer)Jack Thorne is an English screenwriter and playwright. Born in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, most notably on the TV shows Skins, Cast-offs, This Is England '86, The Fades and the feature film The Scouting Book For Boys...
- 5–17 October 2009, Sea Wall by Simon StephensSimon StephensSimon Stephens is an English playwright.Hailing originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester, he is now an increasingly significant voice in English theatre. His plays are often humane explorations of family life...
- 29 July - 22 August 2009, suddenlossofdignity.com by Zawe Ashton, James Graham, Joel Horwood, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm & Michelle Terry
- 17 June - 18 July 2009, Apologia by Alexi Kaye CampbellAlexi Kaye Campbell- Biography :Alexi Kaye Campbell was born Alexi Komondouros in Athens, Greece to a Greek father and British mother. He was brought up in Athens. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in English and American Literature, Kaye Campbell went on to study acting at The Webber Douglas...
- 22 April - 6 June 2009, The Contingency PlanThe Contingency PlanThe Contingency Plan is the overall title of a pair of plays by the British playwright Steve Waters. It premiered from 22 April to 6 June 2009 at the Bush Theatre, with a cast including Geoffrey Streatfeild...
by Steve WatersSteve WatersSteve Waters is a British playwright. His work includes World Music and The Contingency Plan . He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James... - 3 March - 26 April 2009, Stoevepipe by Adam Brace
- 10 February - 28 March 2009, Wrecks by Neil LaBute
- 8 December 2008 - 10 January 2009, 50 Ways to Leave your Lover at Christmas by Leah Chillery, Ben Ellis, Stacey Gregg, Lucy Kirkwood, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm & Ben Schiffer
- 11 November - 6 December 2008, I Caught Crabs in Walberswick by Joel Horwood
- 6–25 October 2008, Broken Space Season by Neil LaBute, Bryony Lavery, Simon Stephens, Declan Feenan, Mike Bartlett, Nancy Harris, Lucy Kirkwood, Ben Schiffer, Jack Thorne & Anthony Weigh
- 28–30 August 2008, Turf by Simon Vinnicombe
- 21–25 July 2008, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Leah Chillery, Ben Ellis, Stacey Gregg, Lucy Kirkwood & Ben Schiffer
- 11 June - 12 July 2008, 2,000 Feet Away by Anthony Weigh
- 23 April - 24 May 2008, Tinderbox by Lucy Kirkwood
- 20 February - 22 March 2008, Artefacts by Mike Bartlett
- 6–30 June 2007, Trance
- 25 April - 2 June 2007, EllingElling (play)Elling is a 2007 theatre adaptation by Simon Bent of the film of the same name. It was produced at the Bush Theatre, London, and then transferred to the West End at Trafalgar Studios with John Simm, Adrian Bower, Ingrid Lacey, Jonathan Cecil & Keir Charles. The play premiered on Broadway on...
- 28 March - 21 April 2007, Tom Fool
- 14 February - 17 March 2007, I Like Mine With a Kiss
- 9 January - 3 February 2007, What Would Judas Do
- 9 January - 3 February 2007, Product: World Remix
- 8 November - 23 December 2006, Whipping it Up
- 17 October - 4 November 2006, Bones
- 12 September - 14 October 2006, PumpgirlPumpgirlPumpgirl is an acclaimed play by Abbie Spallen, which is set in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was a co-winner of the 2006-2007 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best play written in English by a woman....