Writer's Bloc
Writers’ Bloc is a unique theatre initiative to discover, train and introduce exciting new playwrights to Indian audiences. The sourcing and training of the playwrights and the festival that follows is a collaboration between the British Council, Royal Court Theatre, UK, Jindal South West Foundation and Rage.
Elyse Dodgson
Associate Director, Head of International Department, Royal Court Theatre
Phyllida Lloyd
Theatre, Film & Opera Director
Phyllida has directed opera, theatre, film and television. Her theatre work includes plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Court. She received a Best Director nomination at the Olivier awards in 2006 and the Tony awards in May 2009 for her production of Mary Stuart. She has also directed numerous operas for the English National Opera, the Royal Opera House and for Opera North. For her film Gloriana, she received an international Emmy. Her hugely successful stage musical Mama Mia, made into a film in 2008, was also directed by her and has become UK’s biggest grossing box-office hit of all time. She was nominated for the Tony Awards in 2009 as Best Director for the play Mary Stuart. She was appointed Commnader of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010.Carl Miller
Playwright and Director
Carl first worked in India as part of the Royal Court International Department's work with playwrights in 2002. Carl's plays include Red Fortress (Unicorn Theatre, London), Return (Watford Palace Theatre); The Coming of the King (City Lit, London); Death Takes a Bow: Sherlock Holmes and The Athenaeum Ghoul, Hansel and Gretel, and Janet and Jane (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds). His other work includes Spellshock (a new libretto to Maurice Ravel’s music), Black-Eyed Susan (a new version of Douglas Jerrold’s play), The Hound of the Baskervilles (adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s book) and Journey to the River Sea (adapted from Eva Ibbotson’s book).
He has been Artistic Director of the Royal Court Young People’s Theatre and Associate Director at Birmingham Rep. He is Associate Director (Literary) at London's Unicorn Theatre.
Associate Director, Head of International Department, Royal Court Theatre Elyse Dodgson has been on the artistic team of the Royal Court since 1985, first as Director of the Young People’s Theatre and since 1995 as Associate Director, Head of the International Department. She was the first director of the International Summer School, now the Royal Court International Residency, which she started in 1989 and produced the Royal Court Young Writer’s Festival (1986-91) and the International Season since 1997. She has co-ordinated play development in many parts of the world including Brazil, Cuba, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Palestine, Russia, and across the Arab World. In 1999 she received the International Theatre Institute’s Excellence in International Theatre Award and in 2004 was the recipient of the Young Vic Award in recognition of her work for a young generation of theatre practitioners.
Theatre, Film & Opera Director Phyllida has directed opera, theatre, film and television. Her theatre work includes plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse and the Royal Court. She received a Best Director nomination at the Olivier awards in 2006 and the Tony awards in May 2009 for her production of Mary Stuart. She has also directed numerous operas for the English National Opera, the Royal Opera House and for Opera North. For her film Gloriana, she received an international Emmy. Her hugely successful stage musical Mama Mia, made into a film in 2008, was also directed by her and has become UK’s biggest grossing box-office hit of all time. She was nominated for the Tony Awards in 2009 as Best Director for the play Mary Stuart. She was appointed Commnader of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010.
Playwright and Director Carl first worked in India as part of the Royal Court International Department's work with playwrights in 2002. Carl's plays include Red Fortress (Unicorn Theatre, London), Return (Watford Palace Theatre); The Coming of the King (City Lit, London); Death Takes a Bow: Sherlock Holmes and The Athenaeum Ghoul, Hansel and Gretel, and Janet and Jane (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds). His other work includes Spellshock (a new libretto to Maurice Ravel’s music), Black-Eyed Susan (a new version of Douglas Jerrold’s play), The Hound of the Baskervilles (adapted from Arthur Conan Doyle’s book) and Journey to the River Sea (adapted from Eva Ibbotson’s book).
He has been Artistic Director of the Royal Court Young People’s Theatre and Associate Director at Birmingham Rep. He is Associate Director (Literary) at London's Unicorn Theatre.
In 2003, Paul Smith, the inspirational head of the British Council, Mumbai, threw us a lifeline by suggesting that playwrights In India could benefit from some training. He then brought in the Royal Court Theatre, Britain’s home of new writing, to be our guide. This led to the first residential workshop at the JSW farmhouse near Nasik, where fledgling playwrights from across India worked intensely with the Court.
After a second round of workshops, nine amazingly fresh, new, original scripts emerged. We knew that the playwright’s work only ends when a director gives his story vision, actors speak his words and the audience responds to his text. With this belief and determination, WRITERS’ BLOC was born - India’s first festival of original Indian playwriting. Over the years we have supported 20 young playwrights and produced 20 new scripts. The audience and industry response has been terrific. People now buy season tickets and most shows go houseful in advance.
Our next round of workshops, with the help of the British Council’s Development Fund and the Royal Court, will commence in October 2010.