Plays & Productions
The Pitch: Commissioned as part of Anu Production’s The Anvil for Manchester International Festival, Prophet is an immersive, 20-minute piece tackling the modern realities of the gig economy.
“The best is a side-street confrontation between a taxi driver and a cycle courier that deals with the gig economy, anti-gay discrimination, immigration and overcrowding in its 20 minutes and still manages to be witty about it.” — The Guardian
The Pitch: Ms Lawson, a newly qualified teacher, believes a student is being bullied for being gay. The Deputy Head wants to let it sort itself out. Is this standard practice, or is there something more unsavoury at play?
Production History: Originally mounted at The Lowry, Salford, then selected as one of the best studio plays of 2009 by The Library Theatre, Manchester. Toured nationally and to the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Remounted in 2016, funded by Arts Council England and Edge Hill University, at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe, The Lowry, and the 5th International Health Humanities Conference in Seville.
Accolades: Winner of a Stage Edinburgh Award | The Stage’s Critics' Choice Award of Best Plays at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival.
★★★★★ “Care Takers is pure theatre at its best: a simple plot wrapped in a clever script performed by consummate actors.” — BroadwayBaby
★★★★★ “Hits home with a punch!” — WhatsonStage
The Pitch: Jack, the Artistic Director of a leading dance company, faces a crisis when his principal dancer is outed as a member of a far-right organisation. A targeted protest campaign threatens to bankrupt the company.
Production History: Produced by Truant in association with Oldham Coliseum; toured the UK including at Homotopia. Remounted in 2016 at the Hen and Chickens, London.
★★★★ “A powerful blend of storytelling and provocation.” — The Public Reviews
“Engrossing, nervy, altogether excellent play.” — Jildy Juice
The Pitch: Ulster, 2008. Ten years after the Good Friday Peace Agreement. When two old Smiths fans reunite, a tragic love story between ‘the jumped-up pantry boy’ and ‘the boy with the thorn in his side’ reopens a world of past violence.
Production History: Co-produced by Truant and Oldham Coliseum. Toured to The Lowry, The Arts Centre, Ormskirk, Seven Arts Leeds, and The Lantern Theatre Liverpool.
Accolades: Winner of Warehouse Theatre’s International Playwriting Competition, originally titled Transitions. Special Commendation, Verity Bargate Award.
★★★★ “A demanding and very moving play.” — WhatsOnStage
“Provocative, edgy ... Billy Cowan is clearly a writer with a knack for digging around in the moral complexities of our times.” — Liverpool Salon
The Pitch: On the eve of the Good Friday Agreement, Kyle Morrow comes out to his fiercely Presbyterian mother. When she tells him to leave the house, he barricades himself in his bedroom and goes on hunger strike until she accepts him for who he is.
Production History: Co-produced by Birmingham Rep, Contact Manchester, and Queer Up North. Remounted by The Drill Hall, London in 2007.
Accolades: Winner of the 2003 Writing Out International Award | Nominated for Best New Play 2005 by the Manchester Evening News.
★★★★ “Has real energy and anger along with the jokes.” — Manchester Evening News
“The kind of challenging work from the regions the National should be showcasing.” — Birmingham Post
“A hard-hitting play with a strong message and is at times exhilaratingly surreal.” — The Stage
The Pitch: Would you fake a religious miracle to change a world you hate? A fast-paced farce that follows Jo, a young, radical lesbian who hammers nails into her hands and claims to receive messages from Christ to expose church taboos.
Production History: Co-produced by Truant and The Drill Hall, London; featured at Homotopia and The Drill Hall, London.
“When exposing the church’s gay taboos and lampooning the establishment, you really have to think your attack out with care, especially if it’s in the form of a farce. Stigmata’s creator, Billy Cowan, has taken the task by its broad shoulders and the audience cracked with laughter.” — The Stage
The Pitch: A gentle, intergenerational tale of love, denial, and acceptance between a young man and an older man. Performed at the inaugural 24:7 Theatre Festival.
“The most interesting play of the festival.” — A Year in the Theatre
A multimedia monologue integrating live performance with animation and an original score. Produced by Birmingham Rep for the Beyond Boundaries Festival.
“Packs digital animation and a one-man show into one uncompromising fifteen-minute punch.” — Ben Payne, Birmingham Rep