“The Final Stage was a really enjoyable evening of three new play extracts, a great opportunity to see new plays performed by interesting casts, and an excellent chance for emerging writers to have a showcase for their work.  It was great to be part of the judging panel and I hope that Writers Avenue goes from strength to strength in its championing of good new writing. “

Sarah Hughes (Casting Director)

“It was great being a judge. I had a fantastic time and feel Writer’s Avenue’s events are a great opportunity for new writers. I will be spreading the word!”

 Bola Agbaje – (Award winning playwright)

I was delighted to be asked to be part of the panel for Writers Avenue, and found it exciting having the opportunity to see new writing in such an intimate setting. Writers Avenue offers a great platform for new writers and actors and I am proud to be associated with such a project! I am looking forward to my next venture with Sandra and the team, they are a joy to work with.

 David Lazenby (literary and acting agent from Richard Stone Partnership)

'This a great initiative. All three plays had already proved themselves by getting into the final - the quality of writing, acting and directing was very high, which made my job even more difficult, and rightly so. What a fantastic turn out as well, and a great atmosphere. The Writers Avenue are doing something very special here which will help any writer at any point in his or her career  - that is, putting the play in front of an audience. David Hare once said that a day spent in a rehearsal was worth a week spent sitting alone in a room trying to create. Well, twenty minutes in front of a live audience is worth even more than that - it cuts through to the chase to what works. No amount of readers reports and workshops can substitute for that'

 Nicholas McInerny (screen writer)

"The First 20 Minutes is a great initiative from the dynamic new company Writers Avenue. It helps writers hone an invaluable skill - how to hook the audience and state your theme at the beginning of a piece of drama. It was a complete pleasure to be involved."

 Philip Gawthorne- (screen writer and playwright)

"Working for Writer's Avenue has been an inspiring and wonderfully creative process. The Writer's Avenue brings artists together and gives way for a safe and productive avenue for actors, writers, theatrical technicians alike. New writing is so very important to our industry and I am incredibly privileged to have been a part of something so innovative and worthwhile. The format for the avenue will only continue to grow as it is led and produced by passion and this was evident from the moment I auditioned to the after show drinks in the bar"

“A hard working group providing a very professional outlet and showcase for new writing.
 As an actor, both scripts I've performed have been of a high quality and the directors and fellow actors have been excellent. The Writers Avenue productions move from first read through to performance in a very short space of time and that is  an exciting challenge for the cast. But most importantly of all, the large audiences have enjoyed and been stimulated by the material they have seen performed”

Pete Picton (Actor in The First 20 Minutes)

“Writers Avenue have been instrumental in getting my work out to an audience. Because they provide access to criticism from the audience I have been able to assess how successful my work has been in artistic terms, and it has given me room to consider if my work is successful relating in sociatal terms as well. Because the way Writers Avenue is structured allows me to develop my work over time, testing it at various stages - I have been able to continuously develop my work in the place it really matters - the theatre. Writers Avenue are a great resource for writers - helping them find and refine their voice”.         
                      
Dan Horrigan (Finalist writer in The Final Stage)

“Having joined Writer's Avenue as a script reader only a few months ago, I am impressed with the production standards for the First 20 Minutes, and applaud the imagination that lies behind the venture. There are many new writing organisations out there, but Writer's Avenue is much more constructive than most, exposing promising scripts to a critical audience at various stages of their development. Invaluable for the writer to get such informed feedback”.

Giles Cole: Script Reader

“The experience of writing for the first twenty minutes was a good one. It enabled me to see my work performed to a high standard, receive useful feedback and then go on to re-write it for The Next Stage. The feedback
from Writer's Avenue themselves was particularly useful and I took many of their ideas on board and incorporated them into my next draft. I feel as a direct result from my work with Writer's Avenue, I have grown considerably
as a writer and learnt a lot about the whole process of putting on a short
play. I would strongly recommend Writer's Avenue to good emerging writers”.

Clare Shaw (Finalist writer in The Final Stage)

“Writer's Avenue is a fantastic training ground for young actors and script writers alike.  It provides not a wonderful opportunity to meet other industry professionals in a hugely supportive and highly organised company, but also the chance for actors to work in direct consultation with writers in exploring their new and exciting work”.

Sophie Laughton: (Actress in The First 20 Minutes)

"Writers Avenue seems to be a wonderfully creative organisation encouraging the right work in the right areas.  They use and involve people at the top of their game and put them into a competitive spirit which brings out some of the best creative results I have been involved in as an actor.  When you consider the funding cuts the arts are currently undergoing, I think it is becoming more and more important that we focus this funding to the organisations that have the right attitude, the right people, and the right ambition, as well as people that can be trusted with it, and I can wholeheartedly say that Writers Avenue is one of the few organisations I have come across that I would trust with this mantle. 

Too many people in this day and age are looking into the Arts for the wrong reasons, and the best way to conquer this is to support the right people in the right way.  Writers Avenue understand creativity, process, and results, and I would love to see them take steps towards becoming a funded professional theatre company."

Adam Berry (Actor in Face the Camera and Smile by Dan Horrigan)

"Writer's Avenue is a fantastic showcase for both writers and actors, and in my experience, what is particularly pleasing is the shared experience of seeing something come alive for the first time on stage."

Michael Linsey: Actor in The First 20 Minutes

Ella Moody (Actress in Seconds by Alex Clarke)

"I am really grateful for the opportunity that being involved with The Writer's Avenue Final Stage has given me. It was lovely to be part of a project that, as it is new writing by emerging writers, is very vital and immediate. There is a good energy about taking a section of a new play and competing with other productions in front of an audience and a panel of industry experts. It is also one of the most nerve wracking things I have ever done! Hearing feedback from the experts was really interesting, invaluable for the writers but an education for the actors in how a play can gain life and grow. I am very excited to be part of the next stage of the process, taking the play and developing it in rehearsal with Alex. I think between us all, cast and crew, we are going to put on something pretty special"

Jenny Walters (Actress in Seconds by Alex Clarke)

"Its been an amazing experience and I'm so glad to be part of it... Looking forward to seeing how the play develops. Alex is such a talented writer!!!"

Sadie Pickering (Actress in  Seconds by Alex Clarke)