History – what is it good for?

Everyone studies History at school but what do we learn? There are so many different histories – kings and queens, wars, political, social, Commonwealth, world. How does it help us? The philosopher Santayana said ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ Judging by the number of times history repeats itself, we’re

Timeless

An elegant green Edwardian clock stands at the heart of Birmingham’s beloved Jewellery Quarter, towering above the bustling lives of residents, workers, shoppers and visitors. The Chamberlain Clock has been an impressive sight since it was unveiled by Joseph Chamberlain back in 1903 to commemorate his visit to South Africa after the controversial 2nd Boer

Green door, what’s that secret you’re keeping?

According to the 1956 hit song, ‘there’s an old piano and they play it hot behind the green door’. It’s a tune that was running through my head as I approached a battered green door in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. However, rather than finding a smoke-filled speakeasy, I discovered an entirely different world of wonders: a

The power of collective strength

Google searches for ‘how can I join a union’ went up by 500 per cent at the end of June, driven by coverage of the rail strikes and by the growing number of planned industrial disputes fuelled by the cost-of-living crisis. My short play for GEM OF A PLACE – about women penmakers being urged

The Cheeky Back Kick

It’s been an exciting summer so far, Wimbledon, a mini heatwave, the Lionesses through to the Euros final, the Commonwealth Games kicking off in Birmingham, Prima Facie hitting the cinemas… who doesn’t love Jodie Comer? People often compare the funding of sports and the arts –  which gets most, which is perceived to be more

Something major and important that will change everything

I’m confused. And I’m a news junkie too. It’s a bad combination.  I think if I watch just a little more bloodshed and misery, I might understand the world better. It might all become clear. It doesn’t. Today tanks roll through Ukraine, asylum seekers could be flown to Rwanda, Boris Johnson is Prime Minister. How

Open Door at The REP

In 2013, BOLDtext Playwrights initiated discussions with Birmingham REP about presenting New Writing nights, and the OPEN DOOR initiative emerged. We pioneered it by presenting eight individual pieces of work-in-progress to a growing regional audience hungry for new work that reflected their lives. Click ‘continue reading’ or scroll down for older posts about the shows.

Bolder, Better, Brilliant

We’ve come a long way since we started in 2014. Beginning in The DOOR at the Birmingham Rep, we’ve burst out onto the streets of Digbeth, into the garden of a mansion, and even taken over a jail. We figured it’s about time we wrote down what it is we do. Read our manifesto below.

No Planet B

NO PLANET B at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, January 2020 I thought the world might be suffering from eco-fatigue  – and not turn out on a cold January night to see BOLDtext save the planet with 4 short plays. I was wrong. The theatre was packed and buzzing. Julia Wright’s Stepping Up opened the show. A well-meaning couple stage

No Planet B

A polar bear standing on a small block of ice has become a worldwide symbol of climate change and climate change arguments are on our screens every day.  So when BOLDtext were given a January 2020 date at Birmingham Rep, climate change seemed an obvious topic to choose. Then came the difficult bit.  Four BOLDtext