We are delighted to announce the next three Associate Artists to join The Lion & Unicorn Theatre for our inaugural year. Our three new artists are writers Hannah Bates, Marcus Bernard and Jack Albert Cook! Find out more about them here:
HANNAH BATES
Hannah is a playwright based in London, but was born and raised in Hastings. Her experience of growing up in a small town by the sea has heavily influenced her early work, and she often explores small communities and location as its own character.
After graduating last year she founded the women’s writers group ‘Kine productions’. This collaboration with University Women in the Arts brings emerging female writers on stage and pairs them with leading industry professionals. Past workshops have been hosted at Theatre503 and The Bush Theatre.
Hannah is studying a Masters in Dramatic Writing at Drama Centre, and her writing credits are ‘Remote’ at Theatre503 and ‘Mark’ for ‘Feel More’ with Proforca Theatre Company. She is also part of the Artistic Director scheme with University Women in the Arts.
MARCUS BERNARD
Marcus Bernard is a playwright and producer from London. After a 16 year tech career, Marcus was made redundant from his position. Looking to explore creative outlets, he took his first playwriting course at City Lit in October 2017 and began pursuing a career in theatre. Since then, Marcus has had short plays on at the White Bear Theatre, Theatre503, the Space Arts Centre as well as a number of other venues in London. He has also had an extract of his first full length play, Unbroken, showcased at the Young Vic Freshworks night and the play is currently in R&D. Marcus is part of the 2018/19 cohort of the Soho Theatre Writers' Lab, where he is writing his second full length play, Light Work.
Outside of his own writing endeavours, Marcus is the Artistic Director of The Upsetters, a short play night focused on providing an accessible platform to artists of colour. He also serves as Story Producer for the London chapter of the "cultural phenomenon" Mortified which hosts regular nights at the Leicester Square Theatre.
JACK ALBERT COOK
Jack is a writer from Co. Durham and has been living in London since September 2017. He studied at Bath Spa University from 2012-2017, completing a BA in Drama and then a MA in Scriptwriting. His work includes: When Will It Be Me? (Bath Fringe Festival, 2016), Turkey Blaster (extract - Tristan Bates, 2017), Resident Writer for Comedy Troll (North Wall Arts Centre), Eight Percent (short - Theatre 503), The Mother Lands (short - Theatre 503), Fast Love (short - Theatre N16 and Theatre Deli) & Luke (short, as part of Feel More - The Space and The Lion & Unicorn). Luke, Fast Love & The Mother Lands are all currently in development.
Our Associate writers will receive production assistance and support to bring brand new work to newly relaunched Lion and Unicorn Theatre, as well as help support our new writing programme and writing submissions:
“We’re so thrilled to invite the fantastic Jack, Hannah, and Marcus to join our family at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre. Not only are they brilliantly talented writers and creatives in their own right, they each provide a new, fresh, and passionate perspective on life whilst totally embodying the values of “Be Who You Want To Be” which are so much a part of our ethos as we relaunch the theatre.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with all three of them, and we can’t wait to see what exciting work they bring to the Lion & Unicorn Theatre this year!”
David Brady, Artistic Director, Lion & Unicorn Theatre
Marcus, Hannah and Jack join Boxless Theatre and Fight or Flight Productions as Associate Artists at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre all of whom will contribute to the relaunch of the venue and bring brand new and exciting work to the theatre in 2019.
The Lion & Unicorn Theatre is a fringe theatre based in Kentish Town. To Find out more about the theatre visit www.thelionandunicorntheatre.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @LandUTheatre.