Laura Wade

Laura Wade is a British playwright. She was born on 16 October 1977 in Bedford, England. She grew up in Sheffield.

After completing her secondary education at Lady Manners School in Derbyshire, Wade studied Drama at Bristol University and was later a member of the Royal Court Theatre Young Writers’ Programme.

Career

Her first play, "Limbo", was produced at the Sheffield Crucible Studio Theatre in 1996. "16 Winters" was produced at the Bristol Old Vic Basement Theatre in 2000. After university she worked for the children's theatre company Playbox Theatre in Warwick. Wade’s adaptation of W.H. Davies' "Young Emma" opened at the Finborough Theatre, London (where she was later Writer-in-Residence) in December 2003. "Young Emma", as well as "16 Winters", was directed by Tamara Harvey, a contemporary from her time at Bristol.

In 2004 Wade was a writer on attachment at Soho Theatre and her play "Colder Than Here" was produced there in February 2005 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/colderthanhere-rev.htm] . Her next play "Breathing Corpses" played at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in March 2005 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/breathingcorpses-rev.htm] .

In March 2006 she returned to the Soho Theatre with "Other Hands" [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/otherhands-rev.htm] .

Current projects include new plays for the Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead Theatre and David Pugh Ltd. and a television adaptation of "Colder Than Here".

Wade’s first radio play, "Otherkin", was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 30th August 2007 [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007x5bf] , a 45-minute play billed as episode 2 of the "Looking for Angels" series.

Plays

Unpublished

*"Limbo" Sheffield Crucible Studio 1996
*"Fear of Flying" Bristol University 1997
*"White Feathers" Bristol University 1999
*"16 Winters" Bristol Old Vic Basement 2000
*"The Wild Swans" Playbox Theatre at the Dream Factory Warwick 2000
*"TwelveMachine" Playbox Theatre at the Dream Factory Warwick 2001
*"The Last Child" Playbox Theatre at the Dream Factory Warwick 2002
*"Young Emma" Finborough Theatre 2003

Published

*"Colder Than Here" Soho Theatre 2005
**Subsequently produced off-Broadway by MCC Theater in New York, 2005, in Darmstadt in 2006 and Stockholm in 2006 and 2007
*"Breathing Corpses" Royal Court Theatre 2005
**Subsequently produced in Sydney 2006 and The Hague 2007
**British regional premiere at Alma Tavern Theatre, Bristol 2007 presented by Plain Clothes Theatre Productions. Subsequently toured to the Cheltenham Everyman Studio. The production won "Venue" magazine's Best Play of 2007.
**American premiere, produced by [http://www.lunatheater.org Luna Theater Company] , at the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, 2007. [http://www.philly.com/inquirer/weekend/theater/20071022_A_weird__quirky_breath_of_fresh_air.html "Philadelphia Inquirer" review]

*"Other Hands" Soho Theatre 2006
*"Catch" (with April De Angelis, Stella Feehily, Tanika Gupta and Chloe Moss) Royal Court Theatre 2006

Wade's plays are published by Oberon Books in the UK and by Dramatists Play Service in the USA

Awards

*Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright 2005 for "Breathing Corpses" and "Colder Than Here"
*Pearson Playwrights Best Play Award for "Breathing Corpses" 2006
*Joint winner of the George Devine Award for "Breathing Corpses" 2006
*Olivier Award Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for "Breathing Corpses" and "Colder Than Here" 2006

References

*Theatre Record and its annual Indexes
*Laura Wade: British Theatre Guide interview 2006 [http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/otherresources/interviews/LauraWade.htm]

External links

* [http://www.rodhallagency.com/index.php?art_id=000434 Laura Wade at the Rod Hall Agency]
* [http://www.oberonbooks.com/frameset.htm Oberon Books]
* [http://www.dramatists.com/ Dramatists Play Service]