Playwright Ben Musgrave
Ben Musgrave grew up in Britain, Bangladesh and India. His play PRETEND YOU HAVE BIG BUILDINGS won first prize in the inaugural Bruntwood Playwriting Competition and was performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in July 2007, as part of the Manchester International Festival.
Ben was subsequently commissioned by the National Theatre, and by Y Touring Theatre. His commission for Y Touring, GLOBAL WARMING, written in association with neurobiologist Dr Richard Wingate, was performed in 2008. Ben’s second commission for Y Touring (in association with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Wellcome Trust) BREATHING COUNTRY, toured the U.K in 2009 and was shortlisted for the Theatre Centre Brian Way award for the Best New Play for Young People. In 2009, Ben co-wrote PANCRAS BOYS’ CLUB inspired by workshops with men recently released from HMP Pentonville for Only Connect Theatre Company. Ben’s play for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, EXAMS ARE GETTING EASIER, was performed by the Young REP in 2010 and, in the same year, BOARS AND DRAGONFLIES written for The Miniaturists, was performed at the Arcola Theatre.
Other plays include: LATER, Paines Plough, Trafalgar Studios, 2007, 2008; THE MELANCHOLY HUSSAR (a free adaptation of the Thomas Hardy story), Etcetera Theatre Camden 2003; LOVE BETWEEN TWO SHELVES, ADC Theatre Cambridge 2003 and a co-written adaptation of A TALE OF TWO CITIES, which was presented in London and Paris in 2001.
Ben teaches creative writing at Westminster University; is a fellow of the Macdowell Colony, New Hampshire and was previously a member of the FORUM OF YOUNG EUROPEAN PLAYWRIGHTS (Wiesbaden, Germany, 2008).
Ben is currently working on new plays for Y Touring and Only Connect Theatre and is developing a project at the National Theatre Studio. He is also writing an original radio play for BBC Radio 4.
Ben was subsequently commissioned by the National Theatre, and by Y Touring Theatre. His commission for Y Touring, GLOBAL WARMING, written in association with neurobiologist Dr Richard Wingate, was performed in 2008. Ben’s second commission for Y Touring (in association with the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Wellcome Trust) BREATHING COUNTRY, toured the U.K in 2009 and was shortlisted for the Theatre Centre Brian Way award for the Best New Play for Young People. In 2009, Ben co-wrote PANCRAS BOYS’ CLUB inspired by workshops with men recently released from HMP Pentonville for Only Connect Theatre Company. Ben’s play for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, EXAMS ARE GETTING EASIER, was performed by the Young REP in 2010 and, in the same year, BOARS AND DRAGONFLIES written for The Miniaturists, was performed at the Arcola Theatre.
Other plays include: LATER, Paines Plough, Trafalgar Studios, 2007, 2008; THE MELANCHOLY HUSSAR (a free adaptation of the Thomas Hardy story), Etcetera Theatre Camden 2003; LOVE BETWEEN TWO SHELVES, ADC Theatre Cambridge 2003 and a co-written adaptation of A TALE OF TWO CITIES, which was presented in London and Paris in 2001.
Ben teaches creative writing at Westminster University; is a fellow of the Macdowell Colony, New Hampshire and was previously a member of the FORUM OF YOUNG EUROPEAN PLAYWRIGHTS (Wiesbaden, Germany, 2008).
Ben is currently working on new plays for Y Touring and Only Connect Theatre and is developing a project at the National Theatre Studio. He is also writing an original radio play for BBC Radio 4.