OUR TEAM 

FOUNDER AND EDITOR/SENIOR REVIEWER/AWARDS PANEL since 2015

Formerly playwright and AD of Changing Spaces Theatre, her plays have been performed in London and the Midlands.

@hjwrites @londonpubtheatres1

SENIOR REVIEWER/HEAD JUDGE AWARDS PANEL since 2017

Published playwright, winner of the Constance Cox Award 2015/Kenneth Branagh Award 2011. Plays: CONFESSIONAL, BETTER TOGETHER (longlisted Bruntwood Prize) & LEGACY (longlisted Bruntwood Prize/shortlisted King’s Cross Award). 

SENIOR REVIEWER/AWARDS PANEL since 2022

An experienced journalist (ex-Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph and ELLE) Nilgün Yusuf graduated from Birkbeck's Creative Writing degree in 2022. Her debut play, Nine Moons, had a rehearsed reading at the Space (part of MrsC's collective) and went on to the Bridge House Theatre, the Old Red Lion (part of GrimFest) and The Lion & Unicorn in October, 2024. 

@nilgün

www.https://nilgin@nilginyusuf.com

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2022

Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full length plays. Her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2023

Melanie is a Mauritius born actor, writer and spoken word artist based in London.
Theatre credits include Young Vic Theatre, The Arcola, The Pleasance, Golden Goose Theatre, Barons Court Theatre, Network Theatre, Theatro Technis, Broadway Theatre Catford and Phoenix Arts Club. Digital Theatre projects include The Show Must Go Online and ‘All the world’s a stage’ Shakespeare Solos Quarantine Players 2020. Her writings were performed for SLAMinutes 2022, Chinese Write Now Festival 2022, Creating Apart 2021 and Show Face Festival 2020. 

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2023

As an actor has performed in many fringe theatres in London playing leading roles in plays by Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, Neil Simon, Chekhov and Moliere.  Has also written and acted in performances at The Old Vic and Young Vic.

In film as an SA he has worked on Star Wars, James Bond, Fantastic Beasts, Mission Impossible and dozens of other films. He is currently writing his first and last play.

SENIOR REVIEWER/DEPUTY HEAD JUDGE AWARDS PANEL since 2018

Chris Lilly read Drama at Hull University in the 70’s, stage-managed a bit, worked in Community Theatre in East London for a bit, then took a teaching job and taught in Inner London for twenty-some years. Since retiring, he has indulged a passion for Theatre that had been sleeping for a while and is currently taking an MA in Theatre at the University of Surrey. 

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2024

Once a teacher of secondary English, Susan has been writing about theatre professionally and reviewing shows for 30 years. She was education editor at The Stage for over ten years and has a long track record in mainstream journalism. Also an author many times over, Susan’s most recent book All Booked Up was published in March 2004.

X @susanelkinjourn   www.susanelkin.co.uk 

REVIEWER since 2023 

Anna is a German-Canadian theatre maker, co-founder of the Berlin collaborative company federspiel. She studied philosophy and politics (UCL, Cambridge) before training as a director (LAMDA). A fan of radical adaptation, verbatim and devising, her recent projects played at Theatre503, the Camden People's Theatre and the Old Red Lion. She also freelances as a translator and editor.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2016

Annie is an award-winning writer and the Artistic Director of Open Page Theatre. She's had multiple short plays staged at venues such as The Soho Theatre and The Old Red Lion, written several short films which have been screened at various film festivals, and authored short fiction which has appeared in magazines.

REVIEWER since 2024

Namoo is a director, playwright, and librettist from Korea. She was a finalist for the New York Dramatists Guild’s National Fellowship in 2024 and has received artistic support from the Catskill Artists Residency (New York), the Goethe Institute (Berlin), and the Arts Council Korea (Seoul). Her work has been performed in the UK, USA, Korea, and Japan. Namoo holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from Birkbeck College, London, and an MFA in Playwriting from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2024

Francis Beckett is a journalist, author and playwright.  He has been a regular contributor to the Guardian, New Statesman, New European and many other publications, and his 19 books include biographies of four Prime Ministers – Attlee, Macmillan, Blair and Brown. The subjects of his plays include Clement Attlee, Joseph Stalin and Tom Lehrer, and they have appeared on radio and at several London fringe venues, most notably Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

REVIEWER since 2024 

Imo is a writer and actor for theatre, radio and TV. She graduated from an MFA in Scriptwriting at The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, and her plays Foxes & Rabbits and Pigs are currently in development.  

Theatre highlights: As an actor, The Underground Lovers (Samuel Beckett, Dublin); Improv, She Wrote (The Space Triplex / PBH Free Fringe, Edinburgh; DU Players, Dublin). 

REVIEWER since 2023

Alix is a writer/director orignally from Wales. Since graduating with a BA in Media Arts and MA in English, he's written, produced, & directed two plays at the Camden Fringe Festival, as well as had work performed by the Liars' League & appearing internationally in print & digital anthologies. He's currently finding a home for his new full-length play.

REVIEWER since 2023

Paula is an actor, poet, singer/songwriter and playwright.  Her plays have been performed at Brighton festival, Camden Festival, Fly Festival Bristol, Nottingham Playhouse, Arnofini Arts centre in Bristol among others. She had her first commission from The Royal Court Theatre to write a short play for the Borough of Culture Listen Local project. 

REVIEWER since 2024

Katie Walker-Cook is a writer & actor. She has a law degree from Oxford University &  trained as an actor at the Oxford School of Drama. Katie's work as a writer includes contributions to BBC Radio 4's political satire show "The Skewer" & BBC Radio Scotland’s "Breaking the News." Her playwriting has been performed at theatres, including Theatre503 & the Minack Theatre in Cornwall. As an actor, Katie has performed in fringe theatre  & independent short films.

REVIEWER since 2024

Liam is a Norfolk born actor, writer, facilitator, & occasional quiz host based in London. He recently finished a sell-out run with the show 'BATSU!' at the Ed Fringe Fest garnering the acclaim '[our] favourite thing we've ever seen, anywhere' (Playbill). He is an associate artist of 'Dangerosity' a theatre company of actors  & writers based in Soho. Not only is he an award-winning comedy writer he has worked freelance with National Youth Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Park Theatre, Crystal Maze LIVE Experience, &  Extreme Comedy Improv.

REVIEWER since 2023

Jess is a multilingual storyteller, performer, short-film director, & theatremaker based in London. She has produced for theatre & film in English and Spanish, both written by herself and by others. Her shows have been staged in Spain, Italy, & the UK.  She has also directed for the award-winning series "Dinosaurio". In recent years she´s turned to comedy, directing and co-writing the web series "Bitching Kills", where she also played Barb. 

REVIEWER since 2024

Olivia is a writer and director specialising in theatre and independent film. She holds an MA in Practical Scripted and Unscripted Filmmaking from UCL, and has multiple production credits with the National Theatre. Currently, Olivia is in development on two short films, both of which she will direct next year.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2016

Andy's  plays have been performed in London fringe theatre. He graduated from three cohorts of the Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writers Programme.  

REVIEWER since 2023

Harry studied Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin and now works in London as a Software Engineer. Harry is also a theatre-maker and playwright whose works has been staged across the UK and Ireland. Harry’s 2024 play ‘A Silent Scandal’ played to sold out audiences in London, Edinburgh and Dublin and the next play is due to premiere at Edinburgh Fringe 2025.

REVIEWER since 2023

Phoebe is a writer/ performer and drama facilitator originally from Ireland and now based in London. With an MA in Applied Theatre from Goldsmiths.
Phoebe's first stage play MaMa, a dark comedy, played in The Little Angel Theatre during the 2023 Camden Fringe Festival. Phoebe is a co-founder of Collateral Damage Ensemble . As an actor she most recently performed in Aoife Beaumont Howell's play Mammy Be Grand which premiered in the 2023 Peckham Fringe. As a writer Phoebe has been published in The Irish Times and Type.ie. She runs a travel blog: 'A Twenty Something year old doing twenty something year old things' 

REVIEWER since 2024

Emeka Diamond is a published poet, producer, actor and playwright. Trained at Arts Educational and Middlesex University, he has performed at The Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith and Ravensfield Theatre in Hendon as well as Television and Film projects. 

As a producer (for theatre), he has produced plays for Southwark Playhouse Elephant, The Cockpit, Baron’s Court Theatre, The Space Theatre and The George Wood Theatre. 

REVIEWER since 2023

Mariam Mathew is an alumni of Guardian critic Mark Fisher’s theatre criticism course. She is an aspiring playwright who has the expensive habit of taking dramatic writing courses and attending as much theatre as her legs and purse allow. 

REVIEWER since 2023 

John studied English at the University of Glasgow. An emerging playwright, his recent debut full-length play was longlisted for the RSC's 37 plays project. He has acted and directed for various community theatre groups in and around London.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2016

Emma is a graduate of Rose Bruford College and Soho Writers Lab. She is originally from Norfolk and also trained in Jazz Musicianship in Kentucky. Her work has been performed in the UK and USA.

REVIEWER since 2023

Natalie is a writer and playwright from Edinburgh. She is a graduate of the Lir Academy for Dramatic Arts in Dublin and the Traverse Young Writers group in Edinburgh. Her writing has been performed on stage in the UK and Ireland and has been adapted for radio by the BBC.

SENIOR REVIEWER since 2023

Paul had a long career at the BBC where he ran a number of commercial / digital businesses and he now consults to the creative content sector. His love of theatre came from his wife whom he met at university and he has been attending shows ever since. In 2021/22 Paul was a member of The Olivier Awards public panel which re-enforced his belief in theatre as the most exciting and engrossing cultural medium.

REVIEWER since 2023

Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright, pop culture blogger & film presenter at the Cinema Museum. She graduated from Westminster Kingsway College in 2012 with a degree in Performing Arts & has taken several writing courses at City Academy, City Lit & the Groucho Club. She has since written a TV pilot, screenplays, stage plays, magazine articles, film blog articles & has been a regular Finalist in several writing competitions around the world.

REVIEWER since 2024

Riya is a recent History and English graduate from the University of Nottingham where she also spent several years working in East-Midlands theatre. Her talents lie in theatre production in which, from fringe comedians to amateur writers, she has helped smaller artists get their work seen on stage.

REVIEWER since 2023

Anna is a writer and director based in London. She recently graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a degree in Writing for Performance. Her work has been seen at RCSSD; Etcetera Theatre; Theatre 503; Golden Goose theatre; the Courtyard Theatre, and the Roundhouse, amongst others.

REVIEWER since 2024

Heather is an actress, writer and comedian. Since graduating from Drama school in 2022, she has gone on to perform her own solo play "Deadball" at the Wandsworth Fringe Festival (2023). She is currently in the process of rewriting a new play which made it to the final rounds of a new play call out by Middle Child Theatre.

REVIEWER since 2024

Frankie is a writer and producer based in North London. She is a History Graduate of Cambridge University and has worked as a production assistant on panel shows including 'The Unbelievable Truth' and 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue'. She has written, directed and produced multiple short and full-length plays in Cambridge and London, and is passionate about fringe and alternative theatre