Ben is a young writer-director working in theatre, television and film.
His most recent two plays, ANGRY YOUNG MAN and WESTERN, have received critical acclaim and played in venues internationally including London, Prague, Adelaide, Edinburgh.
He has written and directed a number of short films, documentaries and commercials and written a number of original screenplays.
Credits
2006
ANGRY YOUNG MAN - MahWaff Theatre Company (see below)
Sell-out run in Adelaide and Sydney "...a brilliantly written and performed piece to get people thinking."
Also performed at Tristan Bates, London
2005
ANGRY YOUNG MAN - MahWaff Theatre Company
(Writer-director)
60m stage comedy about British attitudes towards immigration. Premiered at the Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe Festival `05. Transferred to Battersea Arts Centre (Sept. 05). Scheduled for funded co-productions in New York and Adelaide before a regional tour.
CHILDREN OF THE TSUNAMI - SOS Children / BBC
(Writer-director)
2 x 5m documentaries about the longer-term plans for children orphaned by the Asian Tsunami. Shot on location in Sri Lanka. Presented by Aled Jones. Opened and closed the Classic Response Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (March '05). 1m press cut transmitted on London Tonight (ITV); BBC London; BBC Wales; GMTV Today. 2m highlights cut aired on BBC 1, July '05.
2004
THE LOST BOY - Happyness Pictures
(Writer-director)
15 m drama short, starring Guy Masterson and Executive Produced by David Pupkewitz.
NISSAN 350Z DREAMING OF `Z' - TBWA/LONDON
(Writer-director)
Commercials for Nissan 350Z sports car. 10s, 20s and 30s cuts.
ALBERT - Write Up
(Writer)
30m TV comedy drama script (unproduced) developed through UK Film Council funded Write-Up programme.
PAST/LEARN - ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY
(Writer-director)
Winner of the RCS Vision Awards '04. Wrote and directed a 90s commercial to promote the role of education in the Commonwealth. Broadcast internationally on Commonwealth Broadcasting Stations.
2003
WESTERN - MahWaff Theatre Company
(Writer-director)
60 m stage comedy set in the Wild West. Premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival '03. Selected as The List Pick of the Fringe and received sell-out audiences for final 12 performances. Transferred to London for 3 week run in New Wimbledon Studio Theatre (Ambassadors Theatre Group). Funded to headline the International Prague Fringe Festival ('04); headlined Live Lines Theatre Festival '04 (Live Theatre, Newcastle).
MONOLOGUE FOR AN ENSEMBLE - MahWaff Theatre Company
(Writer-director)
60 m stage monologue drama. Premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival '03. Toured to Muscat, Oman supported by the British Council.
2002
35,000 FEET IN THE AIR - CBN Productions
(Writer-director)
4 m short comedy about a man's phobic reaction to the thought of flight.
IMPROVISATION - CBN Productions
(Writer-director)
30 m documentary about improvised performance.
Awards
The Advertiser Best Show of the Fringe for ANGRY YOUNG MAN - Sydney Fringe Festival 2006
Related experience:
Numerous production credits for production companies including Talkback Productions, Alamo Productions, MTV.
Artistic Director of MahWaff Theatre Company, a young company specialising in new writing (www.mahwaff.com)
Graduated in 2002 with top first class BA (hons.) in Drama: Theatre, Film & Television from Bristol University.
