Joshua Val Martin

My play THIS IS NOT AMERICA won the 2017 Bruntwood Prize commendation award, and has had readings at the Bush theatre, and the Stephen Joseph Scarborough. My play A VOCATION: 49 SCENARIOS FOR GAY MEN has been performed far and wide, including at The Arcola Theatre by The Miniaturists, the Contact Theatre, Bolton Octagon, and Bury Art Gallery.

Having a musical background, I’ve written several musicals; I’M AFRAID OF AMERIKANS and A PERMANENT STATE OF EMERGENCY were both developed at Central School of Speech and Drama, under the direction of Sue Dunderdale. The latter went on to be performed at Hope Mill Theatre.

Since completing a History MA during the lockdowns, oral history has become important to my writing process – for example interviewing older gay men for GREAT INDECENCIES (IAP:MCR), East Manchester residents for the musical TODAY THE STREETS ARE OURS (Royal Exchange Theatre) and people who live on canals for BUS TOUR TO THE UNKNOWN (English Touring Theatre)

I have also written three solo shows; TELL ME IF I TALK TO FAST, about the world of waring tour guides and wondering who has the right to a city’s story, THE UNFORGETTABLE NAME about tracking down the guy who scammed me out of a deposit and my experience of homelessness, and WITH LOVE, MR GAY about receiving a homophobic death threat from a neighbour over the bins and how to put a conflict to bed.

I am the associate artist with IAP:MCR, with whom I’ve co-created year-long projects – which each included a symposium, a new play, new oral histories, an exhibition and walking tour – each on a LGBT+ theme such as Polari Mission (2013-14), Life’s A Drag (2016-17) and Legacy of ’67 (2021-23).

I am also an associate artist of Silent Uproar, with whom I am developing my political monster-horror play WHAT HAPPENS IN SCARBOROUGH, that we workshopped at the beginning of 2024 at NT Studios.

I have worked as part of a writers room for a SKY Television drama and I’m developing a film with Polari Creative.

I trained with RTYDS at the New Vic Theatre, and as part of SOHO Theatre and Royal Exchange Theatre’s respective playwright programmes.

I am experienced facilitator and workshop leader for charities, businesses, hospitals and schools – such as currently, I am writing a musical for a school in Rochdale as part of The Lowry / The National Theatre’s SPEAK UP project.

Aside from writing, I play regularly with my art-folk band SHERPA K, I am continuing to learn German language (making it to A2 standard!), and I founded the ‘LGBT+’ and ‘Free’ Manchester Walking Tours in 2015, regularly sharing Manchester’s story with the world.