About me
I describe my work as telling tales and having adventures. I’m interested in speculative fiction, weird tales and folklore. I love these genres because they are big populace dramas driven by ideas. I like to play with and dismantle genre conventions to find new meanings in old stories that are timely, personal and imaginative. Comedy is in all of my work as there is no better sound than a room full of people laughing together.
My debut play ZOMBIEGATE premiered at Theatre 503 in November 2022, proving to be a hit with audiences and critics alike.
My play FOOL’S GOLD won the Lancaster Playwriting Prize 2023.
I'm also a facilitator and writer for young people and community groups including a reimagining of Greek Myth, Pandora Unleashed for the University of Birmingham and Women & Theatre’s Community Pantomime Puss in Boots.
My Plays
Fool's Gold
Synopsis:
FOOL’S GOLD is a social-magical-realist comedy about economics, family and how thinking differently can change the world. The story of two sisters trying to make ends meet, whilst Kat works at a PayDay Loan Company, her dyspraxic sister Phoebe is trying to discover the ancient science of alchemy and turn lead into gold. One day she succeeds and their lives are changed forever.
Number of Characters: 3
Minimum Number of Actors Required: 1
Length (in Pages): 58
Location: Unnamed Post-Industrial Town in England
Key Words: Comedy, sisters, economics, magical realism, fairy tale, alchemy, post industrial, pay day loan companys, landlords
Has the Play Been Produced? No
Are the Rights Available? Yes
Has the Play Been Published? No
Award nominations/wins: Winner of the Lancaster Playwriting Prize
Reviews:
Zombiegate
Synopsis:
“Truth is the internet is a big place these days. You have to shout a lot louder to be heard.”
Sophie and Jamie have just been cancelled, a misplaced selfie has gone viral, and the pair have been accused of mocking a dead child. But their troubles are only just beginning as the real and digital world collide their lives and friendship are ripped apart by algorithms, online mobs and an obsessive troll called Mr Punch.
Zombiegate is a witty & empathetic debut play which attempts to get behind the headlines and hashtags of internet trolls, scrutinising mob mentality, myths around cancel culture and asks us to empathise with people we find it hard to agree with. Zombiegate was a winner of Theatre Royal Haymarket’s Masterclass Pitch Your Play 2018.
Zombiegate is a co-production between Ameena Hamid Productions and Theatre 503 and ran from 1 – 19 November at Theatre 503.
Matthew was nominated for an Offie for Most Promising Playwright.
The playtext is published by Playdead Press
Number of Characters: 10
Minimum Number of Actors Required: 4
Length (in Pages): 68
Location: Contemporary
Key Words: Trolls, Cancel Culture, Online Shaming, Social Media, Satire, Punch and Judy
Has the Play Been Produced? Yes
Are the Rights Available? Yes
Has the Play Been Published? Yes
Award nominations/wins: Nominated for OFFIE award for Most Promising Playwright 2022
Reviews:
“This is a compelling new play: smart, gripping, cautionary and bang-up-to-date”
What’s On Stage
“Engaging audiences from beginning to end.”
The Review Hub
“A stroke of brilliance”
London Pub Theatres
“The dystopian flavour of Black Mirror”
The Stage
“Ebony Jonelle and George Howard have a genuine chemistry”
The Spy in the Stalls
