Monkeywood are Martin Gibbons, Sarah McDonald Hughes and Francesca Waite.
Monkeywood were formed in 2003 and have been producing plays in Manchester to great acclaim ever since.
Maine Road by Sarah McDonald Hughes
July 2009: Directed by Martin Gibbons. Receiving 4 star reviews when it premiered at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival. Whatsonstage summed it up with 4 stars as… “a gentle and moving play examining the effect of change upon those things from which we derive our identity and sense of community…. Maine Road avoids nostalgia to deliver a bittersweet, moving tale that is highly recommended.”
Jan 2010: Sarah submitted the Maine Road script to the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2009, the most prestigious radio drama prize in the country. It was highly commended in a shortlist of 9, winning Sarah a year’s mentorship at the BBC. Following some redevelopment of the script the play was produced for BBC Radio 4, airing in January.
March – April 2010: The script underwent further redevelopment for a 2010 tour to The Lowry, Whitby Hall, Saltburn Community Theatre and Halifax Square Chapel. The tour was supported by Arts Council England with funding awarded through the Grants for the Arts initiative and Sarah’s rewriting was supported by the Peggy Ramsay Foundation. Maine Road sold out 3 performances at The Lowry 3 months in advance, before adding an extra matinee in the studio followed by an additional evening to première in the 450 seater Quays Theatre.
It was given 4 stars from Public Reviews, “My expectations for this play were high and after seeing Nedum Onuoha sat behind me and City fans turning up wearing scarves my excitement was probably higher… it is unique, sad, nostalgic, warm and occasionally funny, it is also about families and Manchester City which in my eyes makes it one of the finest pieces of theatre I have ever witnessed.”
Last Orders (Dec 2009) by Sarah McDonald Hughes
Accepted by the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, to be part of their PUB season. The studio was turned into a functioning traditional English pub in November/December with Monkeywood performing on Thu 3 Dec, alongside ‘pub landlord’ James Quinn, in their favourite positions – at the bar!
A Song for the Lovers by Sarah McDonald Hughes
July 2006: Debuted at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre Festival.
Oct 2008: A redevised and rewritten production directed by Jo Fisher at The Lowry in Salford. Marking Sarah’s playwriting debut, it was given 5 stars by whatsonstage, described as “highly charged and engaging…packed with humour and pathos”, making their final list of top productions of 2008.
Coach G (May – June 2005) by Stephen Morris
Directed by Stephen Morris. Performed in Manchester at Taurus Bar, Chorlton Arts Festival and Studio Salford. “Hip… edgy and watchable… compelling and intriguing new play… well-served by a talented young cast.” – Manchester Evening News.
Closer (Oct 2003) by Patrick Marber
Directed by Steven Hobson. Performed in Platt Chapel, a 300 year old church building on Wilmslow Road, Manchester.