5 things you should know about PapaTango New Writing Festival

5 things you should know about PapaTango New Writing Festival

21 November, 2011
by: Naima Khan

Naima Khan won't miss another PapaTango Festival, here's why:

1. You will be back 
Last year's PapaTango Festival headliner was the unforgettable Leopoldville by Jacqueline McCarrick. I remember sitting in the dark Tristan Bates Theatre and being presented with something so singularly all-consuming, it was difficult to meet the eyes of the performers as they returned from the wings to take their bows. The quality of the plays, and the discerning selection of what's on offer draws back PapaTango regulars year after year, attend this year and you risk becoming one of them.


2. It centres on originality
While other theatre companies reproduce classics or responses to current affairs, the PapaTango New Writing Festival is happy to look at a familiar theme if there's something new to say about it. When I spoke with George Turvey, one of the founders of Papatango, he explained that across thee six hundred or so plays submitted the ever-present themes of dysfunctional families and relationships seemed to appear most commonly. This year's headliner, Foxfinder, looks at what it means to believe in something with an overwhelming conviction.


3. It gets better with age.
Since it started in 2008, the festival attracts stronger talent each year. Last year, the accomplished Christopher Saul gave one of the best performances of the festival and this year sees the formation of a partnership with the globally renowned fringe venue, Finborough Theatre, which will only bring more talented actors and writers to the festival. Recognising the literary worth of Foxfinder before its première, the play has been published by Nick Herne Books. 


 4.The plays
Speaking of great plays, the rest of the line-up features three other distinguished pieces, each running for a week. Crush is more than an office drama; it's a look at the alliances that form and collapse when we are threatened with changing dynamics. Through the Night by Matt Morrison also looks at social groupings but focuses on the lengths we go to to protect our own, and Rigor Mortis sees a broken family try to put itself back together.


5. The post show stuff.
Distinguishing the PapaTango Festival from other gatherings of new writing are the series of talks, forums and discussions that dwell on issues of interest to anyone who's ever asked something along the lines of, “why don't we see more plays about x? or by y? or with z?”

PapaTango New Writing Festival runs at Finborough Theatre from 29th November


Image credit: Bronwin Sharpe


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Naima Khan