Sherman Theatre has announced that Connor Allen, Ciaran Fitzgerald and Mari Izzard have been selected to take part in Explode, its new development programme for established writers. Explode aims to help the selected writers develop to the next stage of their careers by focussing on creating work for bigger audiences and larger spaces. The writers will be provided with mentorship, development, and the time and space to make their work. The programme will culminate in thirty minutes of work being performed at a script-in-hand reading. Explode is part of the Sherman’s extensive work as the engine room of Welsh theatre to nurture and support Welsh and Wales-based artists. The Sherman is committed to changing who gets to tell stories on our stages and in the sector as a whole. Given this commitment, Explode focuses on supporting under-represented voices and places are offered by invitation only.
Connor Allen is the current Children’s Laureate of Wales and associate artist of The Riverfront in Newport. His play The Making Of A Monster won the Imison Award for its broadcast on Radio 4 and was staged at Wales Millennium Centre in 2022.
Ciaran Fitzgerald is an alumnus of Sherman Theatre’s Writers Group 2021/2022. He is a disabled playwright and screenwriter from Port Talbot whose TV pilot Bwmp will air on S4C later this year. Ciaran has also written for The Other Room and Theatr Clwyd.
Mari Izzard’s plays include Hela (The Other Room), The Ongoing, Internal Search for Da (Theatr Clwyd). She wrote Welsh language adaptations for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Sherman Theatre) with Nia Morais and is working with Sky Studios on developing her play Spoffin.
Sherman Theatre’s Literary Manager Davina Moss has said “Explode offers our more experienced artists a seed commission and the backing of the Sherman to scale up and develop their writing. The programme offers bespoke support to each of these writers to ensure that they are able to do their best work. Working with the Literary Department, these writers are encouraged to be ambitious and audience-focused, and we hope to see the work of each of them on our stages soon.
We are so excited that Connor, Ciaran and Mari are joining us on this journey. Each one is a unique and thrilling artist, whose voice is crucial to exploring contemporary Wales. We can’t wait to see what they create.”
Other Sherman writer development schemes include Explore for those beginning their journey as a writer and Expand for those who have written at least one full-length play.