Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre will host a star-studded online celebration of the work of writer Jonathan Harvey, scheduled for 18 July 2020.
Coinciding with the launch of Through The Mill, a new playwrighting prize which will include the opportunity of a mentorship with Harvey, An Evening With Jonathan Harvey will include an interview with the acclaimed stage and screenwriter hosted by Hope Mill patron Denise Welch.
Harvey began his successful career at just 18 when his play The Cherry Blossom Tree earned him the Liverpool Playhouse/National Girobank Young Writers Award in 1987. The writer of over 20 plays, Harvey’s musical theatre credits include Dusty along with the musicals Closer To Heaven and Musik written with the Pet Shop Boys.
Currently part of the writing team on Coronation Street, Harvey’s TV credits include hit sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme and the award-winning comedy Beautiful People.
The performers will include: Katherine Kingsley, Frances Barber, Emma Clarke, Gemma Brodrick, Claire-Louise Cordwell, Joshua Asare, Rose Keegan and Danny Lee Wynter.
A number of stars who have previously worked with Harvey will also make their own contributions to the evening as guest hosts. The line-up will include Olivia Colman, Tameka Empson, Maria Friedman, Meera Syal, Catherine Tyldesley and Layton Williams.
Tickets costing £10 are now on sale and can be purchased online through Hope Mill Theatre’s website. Ticketholders will be sent a link to view the concert on the night. Proceeds from ticket sales and additional donations will go towards the prize fund for the winning writer.
Open to UK-based writers over the age of 16 and now open for submissions, the prize for the winner of the first Through The Mill award will include £5,000 in cash and the opportunity to see their play produced by and at Hope Mill Theatre.
Announcing the event and the new award, Hope Mill’s artistic director and co-founder Joseph Houston said: “We are very excited about our second online offering, celebrating Jonathan Harvey and the many incredible scripts that he has written for both stage and screen. The line-up of stars that we have is credit to his incredible back catalogue of work.
“It has long been a dream of ours to launch a playwriting prize at Hope Mill Theatre. Along with the support of Jonathan Harvey, and during our time of closure, we have been able to plan such a prize and we are thrilled to be able to launch it officially.
“So many freelance artists have been affected terribly by the Covid epidemic and this is our way of being able to offer an opportunity to writers to have their work produced and supported by us as well as being able to offer a financial award.”
Harvey added: “I have long been a fan of Hope Mill Theatre. They are proof positive that great theatre doesn’t just take place in our capital.
“I am thrilled to be involved in Through The Mill. I got my first break in competitions at Liverpool Playhouse and the Royal Court in London. Getting my plays produced via these competitions was the best education ever, and the prize money helped get me through Uni! This is such a good opportunity, and I can’t wait to see what the competition brings, and to work with the finalists.
“I am very flattered the theatre want to do ‘An Evening With’ with me. And delighted to be able to help raise some much needed money in a time of such huge crisis for theatres. We’ve assembled a top notch group of actors to read from my plays and there’ll be various people popping up who I’ve worked with asking me questions. And there’ll be some singing. It’ll be a bit like An Audience with Diana Ross. Without Diana Ross. And with me.”
Angela Thomas
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