Off Camera by Marcia Layne wins the Award
Her other plays include ‘The Yellow Doctress’ & ‘Legacy’ for West Yorkshire Playhouse. Other credits include ‘Sister Esteem’ (Paines Plough/Tour), ‘Lost & Found’ (Yorkshire Women Theatre), Somebody’s Son (Hidden Gems Productions/Tour) and her latest play ‘Bag Lady’ (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Tour) also for Hidden Gems Productions. Her afternoon play for BBC Radio 4 ‘The Barber and the Ark’ was shortlisted for the Sanford St Martin and Richard Imison awards. She was also commissioned to write one of the 20 Tiny Plays About Sheffield for Sheffield Theatres which was performed in 2013.
Marcia has worked as a local government Arts Officer and is currently studying for an MA in Writing. She has a number of pieces of work in development including her first screenplay.
Speaking at the tenth anniversary of the Awards in 2006 Marcia said “Winning for my first play was a wonderful honour for me. I received it at the same time as having my son, so all in all, it was a great time for me. Being a new mum I put my writing career on hold for a while but the Award meant my work reached a wider audience and opened the door to ne opportunities. Essentially it gave me the confidence to pursue writing as a career rather than a pastime and I’m now busy enjoying motherhood, working on my next play for theatre (commissioned by West Yorkshire Playhouse) and developing a drama for radio.”
Reviews
Off Camera – West Yorkshire Playhouse – Winner: Alfred Fagon Award
“Marcia Layne’s first full length play has exuberance, vitality and genuine, life enriching energy….. Off Camera is a sublime play and this is a sublime production.”The Stage
The Barber and the Ark – BBC Radio 4 – 2010
“It was a lovely little parable…” – The Stage
Lost and Found – Lawrence Batley Theatre/Tour 2011
“The play should be praised for its intimate insight into the experiences of Slavery. Resistance, revolution and betrayal are woven into each time frame with a clever script.” Leeds Student
“…..an emotional rollercoaster with plenty of laughs and one-liners but also more than a few tears shed in the audience…..The quick transitions back and forth took not only great skill from the actors but also brilliant writing from Sheffield based Marcia Layne.” Sheffield Telegraph
Somebody’s Son – The Lowry/Tour 2012
‘Layne’s writing shines, capturing how these characters really talk to each other; treat each other and how they behave together. The Public Review
Bag Lady – West Yorkshire Playhouse /Tour 2013
★ ★ ★ ★ “powerful and thought-provoking drama.” What’s On Stage
“Actress Flo Wilson makes sure that Marcia Layne’s beautiful words are used to their maximum effect and the effect is often mesmerising.” Sheffield Star
“this is a powerful, insightful piece of work…it should be seen” Yorkshire Post
“an important piece of theatre” West Yorkshire Theatre Network
“everyone should see a stunning performance of what it means to be human..” Huddersfield Examiner
Marcia writes and produces with Hidden Gem Productions. She is also featured in the National Theatre Black Plays Archive.
