Theatre503 announces new season, last with Roseman

Theatre503’s artistic directors Paul Robinson and Tim Roseman have announced their final season together before Roseman returns to freelance projects and Robinson takes over as sole artistic director.

This September Theatre503 will present the premiere of Life For Beginners, a celebration of the venue’s emerging writers since 2006, jointly directed by both Roseman and Robinson. Life for Beginners is a collaboration between Alice Birch, Matt Hartley, Ben Ellis, Lizzie Nunnery and Rex Obano.

Other shows include Shhhh…, five new one act plays by the venue’s resident writers, based on anonymous secrets left by members of Theatre503’s audience. Elegy, a play conceived and directed by Douglas Rintoul, also seen at last year’s Fringe, looks at the victims of homophobic murders in liberated Iraq. Another premiere rounds of the season, Where the Mangrove Grows a first play by Joe Hammond, which chronicles the life of a lost boy in care.

Speaking about their last season together Robinson and Roseman said: “We’re delighted to present an extraordinarily rich offering for our last season of plays together. It’s a wonderful culmination of six years’ work and reflects many of the ideas at the heart of our programming. From the joyful to the topical, we’re bringing back many of our very favourite writers and also introducing the freshest voices.”

Life for Beginners runs from 4-29 September 2012, Shhh… runs from 2-6 October 2012, Elegy runs between 9 October – 3 November and Where the Mangrove Grows runs from 6 November – 1 December 2012.

– by Rosie Bannister