Vivienne Franzmann
Vivienne Franzman (born 1971) is a British playwright from Walthamstow, whose first play, Mogadishu, was critically acclaimed on its première at the Royal Exchange, Manchester[1] and on its transference to the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith[2] in 2011. Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph called it "the play of the year".[3] The play, based on her own experiences[4] as a school teacher, starred Julia Ford as a teacher victimised by a student's lies after she tries to protect him.
Her next play, "Pests," opened in March, 2014 in The Royal Exchange, London. “Pests” is the story of two young sisters. Both are heroin addicts, have literacy issues, have been sexually abused as children, have been in prison, had abortions and suffer from mental illness. The lives of these two main characters revolve around violence, unemployment and poverty. Clean Break, a theater company that works with women ex-convicts or those at risk of breaking the law, commissioned the play.[5]
Awards
Franzman won the George Devine Award for most promising playwright in 2011 for Mogadishu.[6] The play was also one of four joint winners of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2008.[7]
References
- ^ Mogadishu at the Royal Exchange http://www.royalexchange.org.uk/event.aspx?id=335
- ^ Mogadishu at the Lyric http://www.lyric.co.uk/production-archive/entry/mogadishu/ Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Mogadishu, Manchester Royal Exchange, review". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ Franzmann interview http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23860314-teacher-turns-playwright-to-tell-everyday-story-of-false-racism-claim.do
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (5 March 2014). "Vivienne Franzmann's Pests: 'It is brutal. But it is authentic'". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ Lawson, Mark (3 February 2014). "Students can read Mogadishu without copying its storyline". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- ^ "Mogadishu". Bruntwood and Royal Exchange Theater. Retrieved 11 April 2022.