Bush Theatre Finds New Angle with Roy Williams

East London theatre company Angle is teaming up with West London’s Bush Theatre to launch a new ‘call for plays’ campaign, which will be led by Bush patron Roy Williams.

Launched in 2007, the original Angle project reached over 50 community organisations. They received a total of 100 submissions; 50 were from first time writers and 40 scripts were written by people from a BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) background.

Three plays were selected to be produced in Angle’s inaugural season of plays: TriANGLE09 at Hackney Empire Studio. Two of the writers, sociologist Shamser Sinha and Mina Maisuria, were offered commissions and attachments respectively at The Royal Court and the Bush Theatre. In November 2008 Angle Theatre won a Peter Brook Award in support of its first season.

Angle at the Bush will take place from March to November 2011. It will target “local writers who exist outside of the regular new theatre writing channels across the surrounding boroughs: Brent, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Hounslow, Harrow and Hillingdon”. All submissions will be read by a team of professional script readers employed by Angle and The Bush.

Bush artistic director Josie Rourke said: “Everyone at the Bush Theatre is thrilled to be working with Angle on this important and deep-reaching project. Angle is second to none at reaching out to the quieter and underrepresented voices in London. The Bush is delighted to bring them West this year.”

Roy Williams said: “Schemes like these are more important than ever to find new writers; young and old. Growing up in the local area, I’m delighted to be the patron of Angle at the Bush.”