Polly Stenham
Encyclopedia
Polly Stenham is an award-winning English
playwright
best known for her play That Face
, which she wrote when she was only 19 years old.
, a City
businessman, she had little contact with her mother after her parents' divorce, and she and her younger sister, Daisy, lived with their father.
She attributes her love of theatre to her father (who was chair of various arts organisations such as the Royal College of Art
and Institute of Contemporary Arts
), as he took her to various shows from a young age, including many at the Royal Court Theatre
which would later stage her first play.
Educated at the private boarding school
Wycombe Abbey
and later Rugby
, she spent a gap year
travelling and working for the Ambassador Theatre Group
and the Arcola Theatre
. It was during this time that she enrolled in the Royal Court Young Writers Programme and wrote her first play.
She began a degree in English at University College London
, but abandoned her place to work on her debut play after hearing it was to be staged and following the death of her father in 2006.
premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
in London in April 2007. It was directed by Jeremy Herrin
and starred Lindsay Duncan
as the alcoholic mother Martha and Matt Smith
as her son Henry. Stenham won the Evening Standard
's 2007 Charles Wintour Award, the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and the 2007 Theatrical Management Association Award for Best New Play.
The play received effusive praise from some reviewers, with Charles Spencer
of the Daily Telegraph commenting:
Stenham represented the Royal Court at the 2007 Latitude Festival
before That Face transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
in the West End
in 2008 with largely the same cast and again under Jeremy Herrin
's direction.
Her second play, Tusk Tusk premiered in the downstairs teatre at the Royal Court
in March 2009 directed by Jeremy Herrin
.
She is said to be writing a third play, No Quarter, which will be staged at the venue's main theatre in 2011. She is also currently adapting her first two plays for the screen. As well as working on a screenplay called Dope Girls for Film Four about the first ever cocaine scandal to be directed by Adam Smith
.
In 2011 Stenham, along with friend Victoria Williams, opened an art gallery, the Cob Studios and Gallery in Camden
, London
.
in London
in her father's old house with several friends, including her younger sister Daisy.
She also dated the actor Harry Treadaway
who was present on the press night of That Face
in the West End
. This relationship has since ended.
She is a fan of Radiohead
's album In Rainbows
, which she says she listened to constantly while writing Tusk Tusk.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
best known for her play That Face
That Face
That Face is a two-act play written by Polly Stenham. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 26 April 2007, directed by Jeremy Herrin. The play was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2008, opening on 1 May...
, which she wrote when she was only 19 years old.
Background
The daughter of Anthony 'Cob' StenhamCob Stenham
Anthony William Paul Stenham, born 28 January 1932, and named "Cob" after Richard Cobden, was a director of Unilever for sixteen years, the chairman of Ajro Wiggins Appleton from 1991 and on the board and latterly chairman of Telewest, for twelve years from 1994 to 2006...
, a City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
businessman, she had little contact with her mother after her parents' divorce, and she and her younger sister, Daisy, lived with their father.
She attributes her love of theatre to her father (who was chair of various arts organisations such as the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
and Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
), as he took her to various shows from a young age, including many at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
which would later stage her first play.
Educated at the private boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is academically one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, and the top girls' boarding school...
and later Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, she spent a gap year
Gap year
An expression or phrase that is associated with taking time out to travel in between life stages. It is also known as sabbatical, time off and time out that refers to a period of time in which students disengage from curricular education and undertake non curricular activities, such as travel or...
travelling and working for the Ambassador Theatre Group
Ambassador Theatre Group
The Ambassador Theatre Group is an independent operator of theatres in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1992, by Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire,OBE, it acquired the Live Nation theatre group in November 2009.-List of theatres:...
and the Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre
Arcola Theatre is a studio theatre in Dalston, in the London Borough of Hackney. The theatre's ambition is to create and present high-quality theatre with a social and political relevance to its multicultural local community as well as a wider audience....
. It was during this time that she enrolled in the Royal Court Young Writers Programme and wrote her first play.
She began a degree in English at University College London
UCL
UCL may refer to refer to:In education:* University College London, a public research university in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London* Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve and Brussels, Belgium...
, but abandoned her place to work on her debut play after hearing it was to be staged and following the death of her father in 2006.
Career
Stenham's debut play That FaceThat Face
That Face is a two-act play written by Polly Stenham. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 26 April 2007, directed by Jeremy Herrin. The play was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2008, opening on 1 May...
premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
in London in April 2007. It was directed by Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin is an English theatre director and currently the Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He trained as a theatre director at both the Royal Court and the National Theatre...
and starred Lindsay Duncan
Lindsay Duncan
Lindsay Vere Duncan, CBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actress. On stage she won two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her performance in Les Liaisons dangereuses and Private Lives , and she starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Her most famous roles on television include:...
as the alcoholic mother Martha and Matt Smith
Matt Smith (British actor)
Matthew Robert Smith is an English stage and television actor. He is known for his role as the eleventh incarnation of the Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who, for which he received a BAFTA Award nomination in 2011....
as her son Henry. Stenham won the Evening Standard
Evening Standard Awards
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre. Sponsored by the Evening Standard newspaper, they are announced in late November or early December...
's 2007 Charles Wintour Award, the Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and the 2007 Theatrical Management Association Award for Best New Play.
The play received effusive praise from some reviewers, with Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer (journalist)
Charles Spencer is a British journalist. He has been the drama critic of The Daily Telegraph since 1991. In 2006, Compton Miller of The Independent wrote in a profile: "This convivial ex-alcoholic is best remembered for his description of Nicole Kidman's nude scene in The Blue Room as 'pure...
of the Daily Telegraph commenting:
This is one of the most astonishing debuts I have seen in more than 30 years of theatre reviewing. Its author, Polly Stenham, a graduate of the Royal Court's Young Writers Programme, is 20 now, just 19 when she wrote a play that sent me reeling into the night... In every respect this is a remarkable and unforgettable piece of theatre.
Stenham represented the Royal Court at the 2007 Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
before That Face transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
in 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...
in 2008 with largely the same cast and again under Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin is an English theatre director and currently the Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He trained as a theatre director at both the Royal Court and the National Theatre...
's direction.
Her second play, Tusk Tusk premiered in the downstairs teatre at the Royal Court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
in March 2009 directed by Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin
Jeremy Herrin is an English theatre director and currently the Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He trained as a theatre director at both the Royal Court and the National Theatre...
.
She is said to be writing a third play, No Quarter, which will be staged at the venue's main theatre in 2011. She is also currently adapting her first two plays for the screen. As well as working on a screenplay called Dope Girls for Film Four about the first ever cocaine scandal to be directed by Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
.
In 2011 Stenham, along with friend Victoria Williams, opened an art gallery, the Cob Studios and Gallery in Camden
Camden
- Australia :* Camden, New South Wales** Camden Council ** Electoral district of Camden- England :* London Borough of Camden** Camden Town, an area in the borough* Camden School for Girls- United States :* Camden, Alabama* Camden, Arkansas...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Private Life
Stenham lives in HighgateHighgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in her father's old house with several friends, including her younger sister Daisy.
She also dated the actor Harry Treadaway
Harry Treadaway
- Personal life :Treadaway was born in Devon, England, and brought up in Sandford, near Crediton, Devon, with his father, an architect, his mother, a primary school teacher and two brothers - his slightly older twin Luke and their older brother Sam, an artist...
who was present on the press night of That Face
That Face
That Face is a two-act play written by Polly Stenham. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 26 April 2007, directed by Jeremy Herrin. The play was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2008, opening on 1 May...
in 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...
. This relationship has since ended.
She is a fan of Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
's album In Rainbows
In Rainbows
In Rainbows is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download self-released, that customers could order for whatever price they saw fit, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The...
, which she says she listened to constantly while writing Tusk Tusk.
Work
- Tusk Tusk (2009) at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
directed by Jeremy HerrinJeremy HerrinJeremy Herrin is an English theatre director and currently the Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He trained as a theatre director at both the Royal Court and the National Theatre... - That FaceThat FaceThat Face is a two-act play written by Polly Stenham. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 26 April 2007, directed by Jeremy Herrin. The play was revived at the Duke of York's Theatre in the West End in 2008, opening on 1 May...
(2007) at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court TheatreThe Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
then (2008) Duke of YorkDuke of YorkThe Duke of York is a title of nobility in the British peerage. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of the British monarch. The title has been created a remarkable eleven times, eight as "Duke of York" and three as the double-barreled "Duke of York and...
(2009) directed by Jeremy HerrinJeremy HerrinJeremy Herrin is an English theatre director and currently the Deputy Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre in London. He trained as a theatre director at both the Royal Court and the National Theatre...