New voices at International Festival, Opening Doors

Posted: 18.02.10

Opening Doors showcases the best in young people’s theatre from all around the world and in 2010 the festival will also stage Rehearsed Readings, from 6 new plays by 6 dynamic playwrights.

Arad Goch, who produce the festival, are extremely excited about this new event for 2010. As part of Arad Goch Theatre Company’s 20th Birthday celebrations last year, a scriptwriting competition was held. The only requirement was that the play entered was suitable for children or young people. The response was incredible with scripts arriving from all over the world - America, Amsterdam and Aberdare.

41 scripts arrived by the closing date and after a lot of reading and re-reading they have been whittled down to the best 6. The six finalists are Mark Williams, Katherine Chandler, Dylan Wyn Williams, Bethan Marlow, Matthew Lynch and Gijsje Kooter. Mark, Katherine, Dylan and Bethan are Welsh playwrights, with Dylan and Bethan’s entries in Welsh. Matthew is from Tewkesbury and Gijsje is Dutch, the only finalist not from the UK.

The six plays have varied subject matters from ghouls and ghosts to cookery exams. The competition prize is that a professional team, including actors and directors, work on the script in the rehearsal room and then give a public Rehearsed Reading.

The Rehearsed Readings will be held at the Arad Goch Centre on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th of March 2010.

For further information, please visit:
w: http://www.agordrysau-openingdoors.org