Chris Thorpe
Writer
Film, TV & Theatre
Chris was a founder member of Unlimited Theatre and still works and tours with the company. He is also an Artistic Associate of live art/theatre company Third Angel. He has worked with, among others, Forest Fringe, Slung Low, Chris Goode, RashDash, Belarus Free Theatre and Portuguese experimental company mala voadora - his fourth piece for the company, Your Best Guess opened at Lisbon's Almada festival in 2015. He also plays guitar in Lucy Ellinson's political noise project #TORYCORE and works with the National Student Drama Festival.
Chris is an Associate at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. His play for the Exchange, There Has Possibly Been An Incident was selected by Simon Stephens for the Stuckemarktin Berlin, 2014. It has been produced in Denmark and Sweden, on German radio, and is has been produced in Saarbrucken and Vienna, with more productions in the pipeline.
He has an ongoing collaboration with director Rachel Chavkinfrom New York's TEAM. Their first piece Confirmation, is currently touring internationally and they are starting to develop their next. His other main collaborator is poet Hannah Jane Walker with whom he made The Oh Fuck Moment and I Wish I Was Lonely.
Currently, Chris is touring Confirmation and Unlimited's Am I Dead Yet? He is writing a new version of Beowulf for the Unicorn Theatre, and has written a new piece, Victory Condition, for the Royal Court which will be produced there in 2017. He recently wrote Chorus for The Iphegenia Quartet at The Gate Theatre. He is also working on The Mysteries for the Royal Exchange with Sam Pritchard, who directed There Has Possibly Been An Incident. His piece for director Rachel Bagshaw, The Shape of the Pain, is currently in development.
The texts for There Has Possibly Been An Incident and Confirmation, as well as work with Hannah Jane Walker, are published by Oberon Books. His work with mala voadora is published in English and Portuguese.
Chris is the Arvon mentor for playwrighting, 2016/17.
We are delighted to announce that Chris has been made one of the three Jerwood New Playwrights 2017 by the Royal Court Theatre.
In Development
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
UNTITLED | Belarus Free Theatre/WYP | |
LOW LIFE | Ruby Films |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
STATUS 2018 | China Plate Theatre | Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival - Fringe First Winner. Dir. Rachel Chavkin |
2017 | The Royal Court | |
2016 | The Gate Theatre | Writer of CHORUS |
CONFIRMATION 2014 | Warwick Arts Centre | Dir. Rachel Chavkin |
2014 | Unicorn Theatre | Dir. Simon Evans |
2013 | Northern Stage | |
THE NOISE 2013 | Unlimited Theatre | |
2013 | Manchester Royal Exchange/Latitude/Edinburgh | Dir. Sam Pritchard |
WHAT I HEARD ABOUT THE WORLD 2013 | British Council Showcase | |
I WISH I WAS LONELY 2013 | Edinburgh Fringe | Written and performed with Hannah Jane Walker |
DEAD END 2012 | mala voadora | Written for European Capital Of Culture, Guimaraes |
HOUSE/GARDEN 2012 | mala voadora | Centro Culturel do Belem, Lisbon |
OVERDRAMA 2011 | mala voadora | Cultergest, Lisbon |
MISSION TO MARS 2011 | Unlimited Theatre/Polka Theatre | Polka Theatre and Tour |
MOMENTS DESIGNED FOR A CITY 2011 | WYP | City-wide piece |
OH F**K MOMENT 2011 | Edinburgh Fringe/UK Tour/International Tour | Co-written with Hannah Jane Walker. FringeFirst Award 2011. |
MINSK 2011 2011 | Belarus Free Theatre | English version. FringeFirst Award 2011. |
ROBIN HOOD 2011 | NSDF | |
COME TO WHERE I'M FROM 2010 | Paines Plough | |
WHAT I HEARD ABOUT THE WORLD 2010 | Third Angel/Sheffield Theatres/mala voadora | Writer/performer. Co-production with Third Angel, Sheffield Theatres and mala voadora (Portugal). Opened at Sheffield Crucible October 2010, in Lisbon in November 2010 and toured Spring 2011. |
HIGH SPEED IMPACT. TEST NUMBER ONE 2010 | Contact Theatre, Manchester | Writer/performer. Commisioned by Queer Up North. Originally performed at Contact Theatre and subsequently at various venues. |
HERE I AM 2010 | West Yorkshire Playhouse | Translation of a new script by Belarus Free Theatre. |
OLDENBURG FUR AUSSERIRDISCHE 2010 | Pazz Festival, Germany | Writer/performer. |
STATIC 2010 | Theaterhaus TiG7 | New version in collaboration with Theaterhaus TiG7, Mannheim, Germany |
DOWN THE WIRES 2009 | Lowry Theatre, Salford | Writer/performer. |
INVENTORY 2009 | Forest Fringe, Edinburgh | Writer/performer. Also performed at Shunt and the Soho Theatre. |
BEYOND THE FRONT LINE 2009 | Slung Low | Contributing writer and performer. The Lowry, Salford. |
ANIMALS 2009 | Translation of a new play by Ugljesa Sajtinac. | |
TOUCHED 2009 | North Wall/Latitude Festival | Commissioned by NSDF for the ensenmble. |
BORDERLAND 2008 | Translation of a new play by Ugljesa Sajtinac. | |
PARTS FOR MACHINES THAT DO THINGS 2008 | Sheffield Theatres | Third Angel |
A LIST OF THINGS THAT FELL 2008 | Forest Fringe, Edinburgh | Writer/performer. |
PRESUMPTION 2007 | Third Angel - UK/European Tour | |
THE MOON THE MOON 2007 | Northern Stage - National/World Tour | |
THE ETHICS OF PROGRESS 2007 | National/World Tour | Co-production with West Yorkshire and Oxford Playhouse |
TANGLE 2007 | National/World Tour | Co-production with Newbury Corn Exchange and Sheffield Crucible |
SAFETY 2006 | Urban Stages, New York | |
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE 2006 | National Theatre | Collaboration with Benji Reid |
HUDDERSFIELD 2004 | West Yorkshire Playhouse | English version of a play by Ugljesa Sajtinac. Directed by Alex Chisholm. |
SAFETY 2002 | Unlimited Theatre at the Traverse Theatre | |
NEUTRINO 2001 | Unlimited Theatre | Co-written with Chris Gooded. Winner of a Fringe First Award. |
STATIC 2000 | Unlimited Theatre | Winner of a Fringe First Award |
DEAD IN THE WATER 1999 | Unlimited Theatre |
Radio
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
RIO STORY 2012 | Goldhawk Productions | BBC Radio 4 Friday night play. Broadcast spring 2012. |
OK COMPUTER 2007 | BBC Radio 4 | |
REUNION 2006 | BBC Radio 4 | |
STATIC 2001 | BBC Radio 4 | Radio adaptation of an original play |
Other
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
THE BOMB ON MUTANNABBI STREET IS STILL EXPLODING 2012 | Soup Collective/Imperial War Museum North | Permanent installation in the main exhibition space at Inperial War Museum North |