About me

Elijah Young is a North East based published playwright and actor originally from Teesside. He has worked in North East Culture for the past six years. He is currently an Associate Artist at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne and was a part of their 50th Anniversary with his three-act play, The Cold Buffet. The majority of his work is known to typically fall under comedy-drama and centres around being working-class and queer. Other work includes Father Unknown (Durham Gala) Worlds Apart (Northern Stage) Remarkable Robin's Christmas Adventure (Queens Hall and Alnwick Playhouse) and Isolation (The Customs House and Alphabetti Theatre).

My Plays

Isolation


Synopsis:

Isolation follows the story of five students and their teachers at a school in the North East of England and the week they spend together in isolation. Dale is an openly gay student who clashes with Stephen who, despite his act, is struggling behind closed doors.


Number of Characters: 7


Minimum Number of Actors Required: 7


Length (in Pages): 82


Location: North East of England


Key Words: queer, comedy, young people, school


Has the Play Been Produced? Yes


Are the Rights Available? Yes


Has the Play Been Published? No


Award nominations/wins: Most Promising Newcomer - British Theatre Guide, 2019 Young Writer Award - The Customs House, Takeover Festival, 2019


Reviews:

"Young has a great ear for dialogue, and although the story touches on big issues, from sexuality to bullying, domestic abuse and suicide, it does so with an admirably light touch, keeping the laughs coming without ever minimising the seriousness of its themes."

Exeunt Magazine

Remarkable Robin's Christmas Adventure


Synopsis:

“Magic is for those who wish to see it. That’s what Grandma says.” Meet Robin Armstrong. An adventurous young girl who is obsessed with all things magic. Robin lives in a northern village famous for its fairy tale and folklore. Since the day she was born, Robin’s best friend, Grandma, has told her legendary tales of the fairies, hobs, wizards and trolls that hide in the forest and beneath the surface.

When Grandma’s health takes a turn for the worse on Christmas Eve, an extraordinary adventure begins. Robin heads to Elderwood Forest in search of magical creatures that could help her Grandma and if the fairy tales are true, she’ll have to journey into the abandoned mines to find them. What waits in these mines is an undiscovered world beyond Robin’s wildest dreams. Join Robin as she discovers magic, good and bad but more importantly, the power of friendship and kindness. Can she save her Grandma just in time for Christmas?


Number of Characters: 15


Minimum Number of Actors Required: 5


Length (in Pages): 76


Location: Northumberland


Key Words: Christmas, family, children's theatre, magic, fairytale


Has the Play Been Produced? Yes


Are the Rights Available? Yes


Has the Play Been Published? No


Award nominations/wins:


Reviews:

“It had a delicacy that I don't remember seeing in a Christmas show or pantomime, getting the balance perfect in speaking to both children and adults, while tackling some pretty heavy themes with sensitivity and lightness.”

Chronicle Live

The Cold Buffet


Synopsis:

Things are never easy for Ellis when the family gets together. A dad who doesn't get him, a cousin who can do no wrong, a (not-so-passive) aggressive grandma, his dad's latest intolerable girlfriend and a grandpa in an urn are just some of the things Ellis has to contend with. When it begins to become tradition at these occasions for true feelings to be unearthed, is it finally time for Ellis to cut ties?

Set in the back room of a social club, away from the main action, the play takes us through a wake, a wedding and a christening, and lifts the lid on the tensions behind every family ritual. Many things change over the years but something that will always remain is the same cold buffet.


Number of Characters: 5


Minimum Number of Actors Required: 5


Length (in Pages): 96


Location: North East of England


Key Words: comedy drama, queer, family


Has the Play Been Produced? Yes


Are the Rights Available? Yes


Has the Play Been Published? Yes


Award nominations/wins: Writer of the Year (Nominee) - North East Journal Culture Awards


Reviews:

”This play is fresh, warm and full of substance... a drama that feels both deeply Northern and wholly universal, this play is a theatrical feast.”

The Reviews Hub

\"Young has a sharp ear for dialogue and family dynamics, deftly capturing all the awkwardness of events in which people are forced into proximity by blood and obligation.\"

The Stage

\"The thing that impressed me most about this moving, funny and emotional play is in the impressive way, playwright, Elijah Young, voices three generations of a disparate and dysfunctional family.\"

In Newcastle

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Elijah Young
@ elijahyoung

Location

Newcastle upon Tyne

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