Our blogs

Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

29 November 2025

Posted by Amelia Simpson

Play Creators

Play Creators 

Today, we had the pleasure of seeing our Junior & Young writers work on the stage. 

I was very lucky as I had not been there for the creation of the ideas, the beginning of the scripts or storyboarding… I went in blind and was blown away by the calibre of the writing and the veracity of the stories! I was totally absorbed. We had a wonderful cast of young actors and theatre makers from Solent University who brought the plays to life. 

The Junior Writers had worked on three scripts: Fear of Fur, Aliens and Fear of Flying, supported by  Ali & Sue 

The Young Writers worked on two scripts: The Psychopath Next Door and The Ghostfather, supported by Ali & Sue 

The scripts were brought to life by director Anna Carr and undergraduates from Southampton Solent University’s Drama Department. We also saw three of the students' own plays, supported by their course leader, Annie Sanger-Davies and Sarah Mepham and Darren Purnell. 

Here is my review of each play: 

Fear of Fur - I was truly scared of ‘the fur’ and the fight scene at the end between Jim, the alien overlord and his arch nemesis, Jeremy, was incredibly performed, and the reconciliation between the characters was heartwarming. 

The Ghostfather - intriguing from the first scene, as we find a young man and an old man in conversation, we soon find out that only the young boy can see the old man. The young boy, his sister, and the museum assistant go on a quest for an Amulet, recently lost from the local museum. Which is no surprise, as the museum assistant doesn’t pay much attention… With the help of the Ghostfather  (who stole the amulet) They find it and sell it, using the money to buy a bizarre and new cure for a sickness that the young boy and his parents are suffering from.

Last but not least, The Psychopath Next Door - Let's start with my favourite quotes ‘You look like you have a beautiful spleen!’ and ‘you should go on Britain’s Got Talons! MUHAHAHHAHAHA” The play followed a woman in her new job at a corner shop. She soon discovers that a Psychopath and his granddaughter live next door. There was a musical element to the play with the now infamous ‘tax evasion song’, an original piece of writing done by our writers, of course. The psychopath kills her, turning her into a ghost, where she meets one of his previous victims. Using telekinesis helps kill the psychopath, by getting someone to stab him in the toe, that’s where a psychopath's heart is! The play was: scary, unnerving, and laugh out loud funny.


Previous

Archive

Back to blog

What's on

Find out more

Our projects

Find out more

Our films

Watch now

Headlight Press

Find out more

Latest news

06 November 2025

What Women Write

Working in partnership with Southampton Forward, What Women Write is a series of free workshops celebrating women's voices across the city of Southampton to mark...

Read more

Our blogs

Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

Find out more

Resources


Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the New Forest

Why not get in touch?