Paines Plough today announces programming for its star-studded 50th Anniversary Gala taking place on 10 February at the Criterion Theatre, featuring performances from the acclaimed new writing company’s greatest hits – both new and old. The programme is a unique chance to journey through the Paines Plough archive as some of the greatest acting and writing talents in the theatre world come together in a joyful celebration of playwriting at its finest.
Celebrating 50 years of pioneering bold new writing, the evening will open with an exclusive world premiere short piece written by Paines Plough patron James Graham, performed by Monica Dolan as a rallying cry for theatre and new writing. It will be followed by extracts from seminal work such as Sarah Kane’s 1998 meditation on the meaning of love, Crave, featuring Alfred Enoch and directed by the play’s original director Vicky Featherstone; Dennis Kelly’s 2005 psychological thriller After The End directed by Matthew Dunster with Hugh Skinner and Meg Bellamy; Mike Barlett’s 2010 indictment of the Baby Boomer generation Love, Love, Love performed by Lesley Sharp, Iain Glen and Jessie Cave, and Simon Stephens’ devastating monologue Sea Wall, which will be performed by Tom Sturridge (The Sandman), who received a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway revival of the show in 2019.
The line-up also includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge writer Chris Bush’s exploration of class and food, Hungry, which premiered at Roundabout in 2021 and which will feature Heather Agyepong (Shifters), and Bruntwood Prize winner Nathan Queeley-Dennis’ love letter to Birmingham, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, which will be performed by Kola Bokinni (Ted Lasso). Finally, Jonny Donahoe will perform a section of Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe’s phenomenon Every Brilliant Thing, which first premiered in 2014 at Roundabout and has since toured globally, including a sell-out return to Roundabout in 2024.
The company will also present a filmed segment featuring Olivier Award-winning actor and playwright Amy Trigg, who will record a scene from Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me (winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2021) in the venue where it all began for the company fifty years ago.
The evening will include appearances from guest hosts Indhu Rubasingham (Artistic Director of the National Theatre), James Grieve (director and former joint artistic director of Paines Plough), and playwrights James Graham, Roy Williams, Mark Ravenhill and Ryan Calais Cameron.
Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner, joint Artistic Directors of Paines Plough, today said: ‘It’s an honour to announce this amazing line-up of plays and guests for our 50th Anniversary Gala. As a new writing company, it is in our DNA to always look ahead to what’s next: where’s the next tour stop? When’s the next workshop? What’s the next project? But for an evening, we’re allowing ourselves just one moment to reflect on Paines Plough’s incredible history, and to raise a glass to the many, many people and stories that have made their contribution to the fabric of British theatre, and to making our small but mighty company what it is today. We can’t wait to celebrate 50 years with this line-up, and to continue our unwavering mission to champion new writing as a priority for our stages.’
This event is part of Paines Plough’s 50 for 50 Campaign which aims to raise £50,000 to support its work developing the next 50 years and beyond of new writing. Tickets are available here.
As part of booking, there is the option for a ‘Pay It Forward’ donation, which will go towards a ticket to the Gala for an early-career writer who might not otherwise be able to afford to attend.
As part of their fundraising efforts, Paines Plough also announces an exclusive auction for a personalised One Page Play written by the bidder’s choice from one of the following world-renowned playwrights: Mike Bartlett, Chris Bush, Dennis Kelly, Simon Stephens, or Roy Williams. This will be signed, framed and delivered to the highest bidder. All proceeds will go directly towards Paines Plough’s 50 for 50 campaign and support new writing and writers in the future. Anyone interested in bidding should email Paines Plough’s Executive Director jodie@painesplough.com.
