Nicole Latchana

I have been working as a playwright for 4 years, I work on solo projects, and devise with collaborators. I'm interested in disrupt existing theatrical devices to tell stories of marginalised communities authentically. Drawing on my lived experiences to stage radical, stereotype busting narratives through a queer, feminist, neurodiverse, global majority lens. I'm currently working on a play about trauma from my perspective of being Indian Chinese Guyanese.

Credits

Playwright, LANDING BOLTS, Fio Theatre, 70 minutes, 2022
A coming-of-age drama about skateboarders in Cardiff, exploring growing up Welsh, brown, and queer, battling to save their community space and navigating first Hinge dates.

Playwright, Developing Your Creative Practice (Arts Council Grant), Research Project, 2023 – 2024
Grant to research my ancestral history (Chinese & Indian Indentured laborers in Guyana) and write a stage play and TV pilot exploring the consequences of assimilation as a British Asian Londoner.

Playwright, OCO-2, Various (Hightide’s Inventing the Future Festival, Royal Court Writer’s Group, Arcola’s Playwrought Festival), Full-Length Play, 2021
A sci-fi climate crisis thriller about a woman’s mission to give birth. Secured me a place on the 2022 Channel 4 Screenwriting Scheme. Funded by Arts Council Project Grant.

Playwright, SOUTHWARK STORIES 2, London Bubble Theatre & Southwark Council, Short Play, 2023
Led drama sessions for people with experience in the criminal justice system, guiding them to create a new play based on their stories.

Screenwriter, HOTTIES IN HELL, Channel 4 Screenwriting Course, TV Pilot (8x60”), 2022
A Love Island murder mystery thriller, commissioned as part of the Channel 4 Screenwriting Course.

Playwright, A MAP TO YOU, The Dot Collective, 20-minute Play, 2021
Based on people’s experiences with dementia. Developed over 6 months through interviews and drama games, resulting in an immersive walk-through theatre experience at Longfield Hall, Brixton.

Playwright, SOUTHWARK STORIES 1, London Bubble Theatre & Southwark Council, Short Play, 2021
Worked with a young care leaver to develop a play about experiences in the care system. Adapted into films and shown at Summer by The River Festival in 2022.

Playwright, CHOKING HAZARD, 45North, Full-Length Play, 2021
A play about memory, trauma, and queer joy. Shortlisted for Theatre503 Five writing programme.

Playwright, SOUTH LONDON STORIES, London Bubble Theatre, Monologue Series, 2020
Worked with a young theatre maker to create monologues inspired by people and places in South London. Adapted into films and shown at Summer by The River Festival in 2022.

Playwright, ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, HelloPopelei (Women in Lockdown Monologue Competition), Monologue, 2020
Winner out of 1,000 applicants. Filmed and written during lockdown.

Playwright, MILLY’S MUM, M6 Theatre (Love in the Time of Corona Monologue Competition), Monologue, 2020
Winner out of 500 applicants. Filmed and written during lockdown.

Training

• MA in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media [2:1], Central School of Speech and Drama. 2014
• C4Screenwriting Scheme. Awarded one of 12 places on the scheme, chosen out of 2815 submissions. 2022
• Hightide Theatre: School of Hightide Programme. 6-month programme to help playwrights develop new work (by application only). 2021
• Tamasha Theatre / Gollancz mentoring scheme. Introduction to publishing writing course (by application only). 2019
• Royal Court Theatre: Writer’s Group. 2018
• Kali Theatre Talkback development programme. 6-month dramaturgical support for my play Home and Everything In-between, culminating in a rehearsed reading of it at the Tristan Bates Theatre.
• National Theatre Playwriting course. A ten-week course led by the playwright Evan Placey. 2015.
• Lyric Theatre Young writers course. A ten-week course taught by Simon Stevens and Bola Agbaje. Throughout the ten weeks I began writing my first full-length play ‘Jenny’s Turn’ which is now complete. 2011
• Second-light film training. A 15-month filmmaking course from Skillset and The Video College. 2010.