Box of Tricks in the UK and Centre 42 in Singapore have matched 6 playwrights from each country for an international playwriting exchange programme.
Over the next 6 months, each pair will connect, share ideas and develop their craft. During the exchange, Pen Pals will develop a full-length play – sharing thoughts and ideas along the way – and receive feedback from the Box of Tricks and Centre 42 teams, culminating in live showcases in Manchester and Singapore.
Sarah is a writer/theatremaker originally from Wigan, now traitorously living in London. Most recently, she had an R&D for her play ‘My Mum’s Dead Boyfriend’, produced by No Door Theatre which she co-manages in Manchester. She also performed her sparkly solo gameshow as part of the inaugural Croydon Fringe and is co-creating a queer theatrical grief rave. Previously, she’s had work performed at The Other Palace, Deptford Literature Festival, Shoreditch Town Hall & Southwark Playhouse and was winner of the Royal Exchange Theatre's Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting LocalTale Award.
Dia Hakim K. is an actor and playwright interested in queer Malay narratives, and exploring contradictions in 21st century identity. They are currently a member of Playwright’s Commune, a local Singaporean collective championing new writing for the stage. They also run Pentas Masyarakat, an arts-driven, community-based initiative to raise funds for Palestinian mutual aid.
Jilly is a Northern female writer from a working-class background. Jilly trained as a Teacher of the Deaf at Manchester University and has moved between teaching and a career in making theatre for many years. She made original plays and inclusive cabaret nights with Disabled adults at the Dukes Theatre Lancaster and established Dukes Deaf Drama group and toured plays that were created and performed in British Sign Language. In 2021 Jilly completed an MA in Scriptwriting at Manchester Writing School. Jilly has been longlisted for BBCWritersroom and Box of Tricks/Sky Studios Award and a finalist in the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2021 with a radio drama called Driving Lessons. Jilly has a range of television drama and comedy projects optioned and in development with various production companies including Balloon, Lime Pictures, Pulse Films and New Pictures.
Cherilyn is a Theatre Director and Writer who brings original ideas to life, crafting performances that resonate across cultures and age groups. Her work spans plays, musicals, and opera, with a special focus on productions for younger audiences. Bilingual in English and Mandarin, Cherilyn connects diverse audiences through the universal language of performance. She thrives on conceptualizing and realizing creative projects, from heartfelt stories to tech-enhanced productions using robotics and Telegram. Passionate about collaboration, she works with new voices and ideas to create immersive experiences that inspire and engage audiences of all ages.
JD Stewart is a gay playwright, TV writer, screenwriter, performer, and digital content creator from the Scottish Borders. He holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from New York University and an MSc in Playwriting from The University of Edinburgh. His work includes: GAY BOY, ONE TWENTY-ONE, THE BIRTHDAY, ENGAGEMENT, FUNERAL PARTY, DANIEL GETTING MARRIED (dir. Kenny Miller, Play, Pie & a Pint 2022), THE DEVIL DRINKS CAVA (dir. Liam Rees, Play, Pie & a Pint 2023). JD was a member of the BBC Scottish Voices 2022 cohort and developed his screenwriting through NFTS and The Edinburgh International Film Festival. In 2024, JD wrote the original TV Pilot, GAZE, which was shortlisted for the 2023 BAFTA/Rocliffe Prize, in the Top 3% of submissions for the 2024 BBC Drama Room and received funding and pitch deck support from New Writing North. JD is the New Work Producer at Live Theatre, Newcastle.
Ahmad is a teaching artist and playwright with a penchant for stories of culture and the taboo. Previously, he had worked with sensitive communities in applied theatre projects in Singapore, and had recently completed the inaugural Professional Playwrights Development Residency by Centre-42, led by Joel Tan. He is also a graduate of the University of Edinburgh's MSc in Playwriting Programme, and is also a founding member of Main Tulis Group, a playwright circle that looks into writing and producing Malay-centric work.
Naomi is a Manchester based writer for theatre, TV and radio whose work is fuelled by salt and vinegar crisps and mugs of tea. Her plays have been performed at theatres across the North of England and in London including York Theatre Royal, Oldham Coliseum, Arcola Theatre and Theatre 503. However, she was most excited to be commissioned for BBC Radio 4 as it meant her parents would actually listen to her words! In 2021, her play DOLLARS AND SENSE was shortlisted for The Women's Playwriting Prize and in 2022 she became a guest writer for Channel 4's Hollyoaks. Currently she is taking part in the inaugural UK Women in Theatre Lab. She also works as a dramaturg and freelance script reader for TV companies & theatres across the UK.
Rachael Ng is a playwright and educator. She has performed for theatre and dabbled in writing outside of theatre for most of her life and has, in the past few years, found her way back to writing for theatre. She is a founding member of Playwrights Commune, a collective focused on developing new works for the Singaporean stage. She believes in the power of storytelling and theatre. She hopes to keep writing and to one day find the perfect notebook for all her words.
Based in Manchester, Lizzie is an award-winning writer for theatre and VR who creates playful work that invites audiences to reflect on wider societal issues. They approach work through a queer, feminist and neurodivergent lens writing on a wide range of topics from healthcare to sea monsters. Often drawing inspiration from folklore, they are particularly interested in multi-sensory and interactive work, collaborating with creatives from across a wide range of disciplines. In all their work, they strive to be playful; no matter how serious the topic they are exploring, fun is central to everything they create.
Alia Alkaff (she/they/he) is a writer-director and performer for both stage and screen. She recently completed The Necessary Stage’s Playwrights’ Cove and Wild Rice’s Young and Wild actor training programme (2024). Their passion lies in crafting accessible narratives exploring identity, loss, and hope with a dash of humour.
Lauren is a playwright, dramaturg, and collaborative theatre maker living in Manchester. Since completing an MA in Playwriting at the University of Manchester, she has worked on projects across Manchester and Wales; ‘How To Feed A Town’ Theatr Clwyd (Writer), ‘Full House’ Riverfront Theatre (Director), Splinter’ Sherman Theatre (Producer), and ‘Blackout Songs’ Theatre 53two (Movement Director). Lauren is thrilled to be included in the first International Pen Pals scheme with Box of Tricks and Centre 42. In her writings she is going to be exploring narratives of first love, heteronormativity, and spaces where fandom shows up unexpectedly.
Jaryl George Solomon is an educator-writer with a love for Pokémon & all things paranormal. As a writer, he has dabbled in poetry, plays & creative nonfiction revolving around race, queerness & body-image. His writing has also been featured in What We Inherit: Growing Up Indian & Brown is Redacted: Reflecting on Race in Singapore. Recently, he completed his Emerging Writers (English Poetry) mentorship under Singapore Book Council, where he worked on his manuscript with Pooja Nansi as his mentor. Currently, Jaryl is a Disability Arts educator under A11Yverse & develops curriculum for English, Literature & General Paper on the side. He is also the poetry editor & co-founder of Mahogany Journal, Singapore’s only online literary journal dedicated to featuring and honing +65 South Asian voices.