About me

OFFIE-winning actor/playwright from Bradford. 2022 grad of East 15's BA Acting (CT) course.

Currently a participant in the Omni-Wright program at Omnibus Theatre, Clapham, where I'm working on a new 75-min play titled 'sicko'.

Previous work includes "An Apology to Lady Gaga" (VAULT Festival, Teatro La Capilla) and "Hutchy the Hare" (VAULT Festival, Debut Festival).

My Plays

An Apology to Lady Gaga


Synopsis:

Boyfriends at last after secretly holding torches for each other as teenagers, everything seems to be coming together. This is 2023, and it’s never been easier to be gay and proud, right? Except it’s 2.47am and Matty has disappeared again, leaving Tim behind to fear the worst as the past, present and potential futures of their relationship explode together like an episode of Doctor Who. This sincere and affirming comic-drama digs into the complicated legacy of gay pop culture: the way it shapes contemporary queer life, and the possibility of healing in a cultural landscape dominated by queer tragedy. A celebration of living and loving with no holds barred.


Number of Characters: 2


Minimum Number of Actors Required: 0


Length (in Pages): 55


Location: Manchester, 2023


Key Words: lgbt, love, non-chronological, duologue, manchester, gay, queer, heartfelt, poignant


Has the Play Been Produced? Yes


Are the Rights Available? Yes


Has the Play Been Published? No


Award nominations/wins:


Reviews:

"A wonderfully naturalistic, open and honest depiction of what it is to be a gay man in 2023... Cooke proves himself a strong writer who effortlessly balances light with shade."
- Jonathan Marshall, The Reviews Hub
****

"a powerfully thought-provoking short play that really takes the time to wrestle with the way in which pop culture shapes so much of contemporary queer identity and what that means to different LGBTQ+ individuals."
- Ian Foster, There Ought To Be Clowns


Production Photos/Posters/Playtext Cover:

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Hutchy the Hare


Synopsis:

He’s your friend and mine, Hutchy the Hare! Meet Beaver, Frog, and Peregrine Falcon, three of Hutchy’s biggest fans!

In a small workshop these good friends happily co-exist, spending their days tailoring dresses for a mysterious overseer, and their nights having tea parties and playing games. Join our optimistic heroes on their thrilling journey to achieving their dreams, and along the way learning the importance of working hard. Because working hard is important. In fact it’s rule one…And you wouldn’t want to break Hutchy’s rules now, would you?

A riff on children’s television with a good dash of existential horror, Hutchy the Hare combines theatre and film in this warped adult fairy tale about growing up, or refusing to…


Number of Characters: 6


Minimum Number of Actors Required: 5


Length (in Pages): 49


Location: A sealed workshop room in an otherwise unknown location.


Key Words: horror, comedy, children's tv, weird, thriller, existential, satire, capitalism, one room, dark, surreal


Has the Play Been Produced? Yes


Are the Rights Available? No


Has the Play Been Published? No


Award nominations/wins: Nomination - Show of the Week (VAULT Festival 2023)


Reviews:

'a bleak absurdist allegory of modern life.'
Richard Maguire - The Reviews Hub

'If the Vault Festival had a midnight strand, surely this cracked and crazed production from Scram & Scrum would be foremost in its programme. Deliriously demented, the work cheerfully follows its own brazen logic to the extreme.'
Tom Carrao - Everything Theatre


Production Photos/Posters/Playtext Cover:

Play Image
Profile Photo
Ed Cooke
@ edcooke

Location

Wimbledon / Bradford

Contact