Takeover Young Writer in Residence Team Revealed

Published: 30th March 2022

We are delighted to announce our Takeover Young Writer in Residence for 22; Owen Saunders.

Owen is a 23-year-old aspiring writer from Birtley, Tyne and Wear. In his writing, he’s deeply invested in North Eastern voices, not just in terms of perspectives but also Geordie vernacular and the way we put our thoughts and ideas across up here.

The title of his play is Down the Lines, set in a secluded spot on a disused railway line (heavily inspired by his hometown). It centres around a disjointed group of young people who all have something they’d like to escape from, be it family and relationship troubles, feeling trapped, or simply being bored with where their life is headed.

The play will be staged as part of Takeover 22, on 3 June at The Customs House.

Owen will be mentored by Emilie Robson, a writer and performer from South Shields. Robson’s play Moonlight on Leith (co-written with Laila Noble) won the Scottish Art’s Club Bright Spark Award in 2018 and was named runner up at Theatre Uncut’s Political Playwriting Award ceremony in 2019. In 2020, Emilie was made an Associate Writer with gig-theatre company Middle Child and her play GAME was selected for artistic development with The Traverse in Edinburgh. Their audio drama PICA was awarded Special Commendation at the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award in December 2021 and is due for full production with BBC Radio 4 later this year. Her radio short Sebastian (et moi) was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s The Verb. Emilie is part of the BBC Drama Room 2022 and completed the 4Screenwriting course in 2021, where they wrote FLICK, currently in development with production company Home Team.

Making their directorial debut, is Chloe Millar, a performer from Gateshead who trained in Acting at ArtsEd and Musical theatre at London College of Music. She is delighted to be back at The Customs House in this very special role as this marks her directorial debut. She has recently performed at The Customs House as Fairy Fearnedew in Rapunzel and Arbuthnot and Dickson: Into The Piggieverse, as well as being in the 2021 Takeover’s Play ‘Cherryade Supernova’ by Andrew Finnigan as Josie.

Chloe said: “I couldn’t think of a better place to have her first directing job with the great support from everyone at The Customs House. I’m so excited to help bring this amazing play to life.”

Chloe will be supported by Assistant Director, Kieron Michael, an actor trained in Manchester School of Theatre, you may recognise him from last year’s Takeover play Cherryade Supernova, and he’s most recently been with Blowin’ a Hooley at Gala Durham.

Kieron said of the opportunity, “It’s my passion to portray proper northeast stories and give Geordies their true voice. In the media our region doesn’t get enough credit for its exciting talent, culture and grit, there are so many untold stories out there that need to be told and I want to be the one to tell them. I’ms buzzing to be back at The Customs House for my AD Debut!”

Fiona Martin, Deputy Director: Learning and Participation said, “We are delighted to have brought together such an exciting, talented team of creatives, and can’t wait to present another stellar piece of theatre showcasing the work of young creatives from across the north east. We are so excited that Down the Lines will premiere at The Customs House during our Takeover.”

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