Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jun 17

I’m so flippin proud of this production, which has been made by a team of such ambition, rigour and expansive thinking – AND it’s really funny!

only on until Saturday, so get yourself a ticket ASAP for some “pure theatrical alchemy”

The Stage @thestage.co.uk · Jun 17

★★★★ Review: The Walrus Has a Right to Adventure – Magically staged new play distinguished by layered, poetic writing 👇

The Walrus Has a Right to Adventure review: poetic

Read our review of The Walrus Has a Right to Adventure, a new play at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre by Billie Collins, magically staged by Nathan Crossan-Smith

www.thestage.co.uk

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Kit de Waal @kitdewaal.com · May 29

Call out for writers with lived experience of homelessness or poverty to submit monologues for a new anthology to highlight the complexity of the experiences of homelessness and poverty – struggles, resilience, hope, humour.

Please share :)

mtos.cardboardcitizens.org.uk/anthology/

Photo of five people, black and white, young and older, looking happy

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · May 27

come hang out and think about how plays can be small but also big!

Box of Tricks @boxoftrickstheatre.bsky.social · May 21

📝 PlayMakers! Next up in Masterclasses, dramaturg Tommo Fowler from @liveveryplay.bsky.social explores Small/Scale: Ambitious writing for small casts on Fri 13 June.

📲 PWYD Tickets (from just £1) >>> https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/masterclass-smallscale-with-tommo-fowler-registration-1364298747279

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Graeae Theatre Company @graeaetheatre.bsky.social · May 22

We have released a statement on the impact of recent proposed policy changes & benefits reform within the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper.

graeae.org/resource/gra...

Our community cannot & should not take this further assault on civil liberties!

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Touretteshero @touretteshero.bsky.social · May 23

I’m profoundly sad to say that as of today, I’ll no longer be able to do my job as co-artistic director of #Touretteshero because of a recent decision by #AccessToWork to cut my support by 61%. Read & share this post, the hardest I've had to write: www.touretteshero.com/2025/05/23/a... 1/4

A photo of Jess Thom, a white, wheelchair using woman looking into the camera with a serious expression. She is wearing a blue and green hoodie, black padded gloves and is pictured in from of a brick wall

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Mar 31

with the grey it’s also a bit Oliver Bonas circa 2019

I feel… not all that inspired tbh

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Mar 26

fabulous news!

to celebrate Joe’s excellence, here’s one of my fave ever production photos, from his play The Legend of Ned Ludd last year @liveveryplay.bsky.social :

(courtesy of Marc Brenner)

Reuben Johnson silhouetted in front of orange strip lights, walking across a stage covered in soil. From The Legend of Ned Ludd by Joe Ward Munrow. Photo © Marc Brenner.

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Mar 25

Withnail & I in the rain, with text reading: We’ve texted war plans to The Atlantic by mistake!

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Mar 24

in a world of chaos and uncertainty, it’s reassuring that the Spectator’s take on Adolescence is precisely as you’d expect: reactionary, and arguably just misunderstanding the programme – which is far more nuanced than this would suggest.

thank god for a bit of stability eh

A screenshot of an article, which begins: “At the risk of sounding heartless, it looks as if toxic masculinity is the new sexual abuse: the inevitable answer to why a character in a film, book or TV drama appears inexplicably unhappy, aggressive or damaged.”

It then proceeds to argue that Adolescence hammers home the malign effect of toxic masculinity too much, and – broadly – that we should stop going on about it all the time.

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Mar 20

as the government dismantles PIP, what a gift this week to see the launch of @dadafest.bsky.social’s RAGE exhibition at @liveveryplay.bsky.social, and spend today at @graeaetheatre.bsky.social’s Beyond showcase for disabled artists.

Raucous, tender, and full of fire - congrats to all.

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Freelancers Make Theatre Work @freelancersmake.bsky.social · Mar 17

👏 Loving this! The Royal Court is shining a light on the overlooked talent of front-of-house teams with a special scratch night dedicated to their creative work. 🎭✨

🎟️ More here: www.thestage.co.uk/news/news/lo...

#Theatre #WeAreCreative #FreelancersMakeTheatreWork

London's Royal Court Theatre spotlights in-house talent with scratch night

The Royal Court in London is to shine a light on the overlooked talent of front-of-house teams, with a scratch night dedicated to their creative work

www.thestage.co.uk

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Feb 16

something’s up in Seville

black sprayed graffiti on a yellow metal door, saying “I don’t fuck with artist men!”

a black sign on a white wall, with long letters in all capitals, saying ‘LADY DRAMA’.

Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Eve Leigh @eevlee.bsky.social · Feb 6

Best thing anyone’s said to me about the current emergencies. “Writing matters because someone needs to write the truth of our times, because we will be told it didn’t happen.” @csvich.bsky.social

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Anna Jordan @annaruthjordan.bsky.social · Feb 6

@mynextdraft.bsky.social is here and all #theatre and #playwright peeps should follow them !

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Lisa Carroll @lisa-carroll.bsky.social · Jan 24

I currently have two remaining spaces for script consultation & feedback in February. Get in touch on my website for more info!

If you're getting ready to submit to a prize (e.g. Women's Playwriting Prize 👀 ) please leave plenty of time to rewrite and implement your feedback!

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 17

seeing four shows this weekend, starting (somewhat surprisingly) with the Strictly live tour!

glorious, ridiculous, and I have to say far hornier than i was expecting – from judges in general, and the audience specifically for Nikita

(fair enough tbh)

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 14

Mariupol Drama at HOME is such a shot in the arm: testimony from a war zone, performed by those forced to flee their bombed theatre.

Haunting, unflinching and brimming with the need to keep going, keep making the destruction tangible for audiences, and rebuild for the future.

On until Sat.

Mariupol Drama - HOME

Mariupol Drama is a poignant testimony from actors who were sheltering inside the Donetsk Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol, Ukraine during the tragic events of March 2022.

homemcr.org

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 10

gonna start sending cease and desist letters whenever i work on something that gets a bad review

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 10

a TRAVESTY!

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 9

i love this story so much.
She’s an ICON

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 9

yeah i’ve apparently trained mine to only see cats, as a result of liking your cat

which to be fair is better than endless fascists in the other place but still

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 9

hey this is fantastic news!

great appointment – for writers, directors, audiences, everyone.

really exciting stuff.

Theatre503 @theatre503.bsky.social · Jan 9

It brings us great joy to share the news that acclaimed director, dramaturg and writer, Anthony Simpson-Pike, will be joining @Theatre503 as our new Artistic Director and Joint CEO. 🎉🥳

@anthonysimpsonpike.bsky.social
Photographer credit: Adïam Yemane

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Reposted by Tommo Fowler

Tommi Bryson @tommibryson.bsky.social · Jan 6

ROLLING RESIDENCIES WINDOW 5

Final reminder!

£4,000 of funding available for artists local to Sheffield Theatres to develop new ideas with support.

Short application form!

Deadline: midnight on Friday 10th January.

shorturl.at/d9mLz

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 5

my brilliant, bold and unflinching friend Emma is in the paper, and I well recommend giving her gorgeous piece a read.

‘Silence put my cancer into focus’: how a retreat helped me put my diagnosis into words

After the worst year – cancer, chemo, a mastectomy at just 32 – Emma Hall went to a silent retreat. Here, she reveals how it gave her the strength to confront her fears

www.theguardian.com

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Tommo Fowler @tommofowler.bsky.social · Jan 3

benefits to dating theatre critics:

• plays you’d never otherwise see (for free)!
• endless warm white wine at press nights (also free)!
• crashingly nerdy production analysis whilst on nice dates = legit romance!

negative: slagging off my enemies’ work in print would be ‘unethical’ apparently 😒

Exeunt Magazine @exeuntmagazine.bsky.social · Jan 3

Alexander Cohen writes about the perils of turning press nights into dates nights, and the search for that elusive spark - both on the stage and off

Why am I so single? Because I’m a theatre critic

The problem with turning press nights into date nights

open.substack.com

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