A SELECTION of new short plays written by Essex University students are being showcased at the Lakeside Theatre this weekend.

The Essex Dionysia is the university’s Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies competition to find the best new writing talent on campus and once again dozens of budding playwrights took part.

With the one stipulation that they must be no longer than 15 minutes, a panel of judges have chosen five plays to be performed at the campus theatre with the eventual winner gaining a prestigious slot at the Miniaturists new writing showcase at the Arcola Theatre in London.

All five of the plays are being directed by Rowhedge-based theatre director Gari Jones, who in recent years has worked extensively with the Mercury Theatre in Colchester, and started off his career assisting the legendary Harold Pinter.

The plays will be performed by an ensemble cast of 21 students from the department.

This year’s shortlist are the Lark Ascending by Hannah Broad; Mistranslations by Liv Jones; You’re So Cool by Luke Hayes; Bran the Fisherman by Jack Lang; and Boom Boom Terror by Cassie Catchpole and Dave Garlick.

Third year drama student Liv Jones, who lives in Ipswich, was inspired to enter the competition after seeing last year’s showcase.

She explains: “I had already written a play for one of my module, so when I saw the poster for this year’s competition I remembered seeing last year’s and thought why not? “I’m pretty nervous about what people are going to think, but at the same time extremely excited about having it performed.” Hannah Broad, who is originally from Sussex and is doing an MA in theatre, agrees.

She says: “It’s very exciting to be thinking about the prospect of my own words brought to life on stage by Gari and the the department’s students.

“Being shortlisted is a lovely and comforting feeling because it, hopefully, means my writing is heading in a good direction.

“The title of my play is taken from Vaughan Williams’ classical piece, the Lark Ascending. I was influenced by the song because of how beautiful and moving it is and because Williams wrote it in 1914, influenced by the outbreak of the Great War.”

Dave Garlick, who lives in Clacton and has just completed a BA in drama, says: “When we wrote the piece together as part of our course, Cassie wasn’t convinced it was good enough for the competition.

“There are 15 different scenes and 35 different characters, so it has a bit of a sketch feel to it, but the ensemble cast have really done well capturing what we were trying to achieve.

“To be honest, I always thought it was a pretty good piece and that’s why I persuaded Cassie to enter it.”

The Essex Dionysia
Lakeside Theatre,
Square 5, Essex University.
Friday 7.30pm.
£12, £8 concessions £5 students. 01206 873261.
www.lakesidetheatre.org.uk