Olu Alakija

Region: London (Greater London)

About / Bio

I’m a playwright, screenwriter, script reader and Literary Dramaturg from Northampton and currently living in London. I have been a script reader and jury member and provided feedback and dramaturgical services for a number of different companies over the last 10 years including: The Papatango Prize, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Best Play Awards, Tamasha Theatre, The Bush Theatre, The William Saroyan Playwriting Prize and the ADAA Saroyan/ Paul Human Rights Playwriting Prize. My work has been performed at various festivals, online and in theatres including The VaultsRich Mix, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Barbican Open Lab, Young Vic, Above The Arts, Blue Elephant Theatre, Talawa Theatre, The Space Arts Centre, Tamasha Theatre, Applecart Arts, Stanley Halls, The Bread and Roses Theatre, The Octagon Theatre, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, RADA Studios, The Bunker Theatre, Live Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, The Arcola Theatre and Soho Theatre.


Contact

Email this writer



Genres

Film
Audio
Television
Theatre

Writer's credits

“Oranges and Lemons” – Short Play – Quarter-Finalist in Scriptwriters & Co International Festival 2024

 “Mr Ten per cent” – Top 25% in Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy – 2024

 “Mr Ten per cent” – Top 20% Verity Bargate Award Soho Theatre – 2022

 Audio Drama series pilot episode commissioned by Audible UK 2021

 “Handle with Care”- Nottingham Playhouse’s “Still Life”- Digital Drama – 2021

 Selected as a School of HighTide Theatre playwright – 2021

“The End of Term Show” – Live Theatre’s “5 Plays of Christmas–Digital Theatre – 2020

“Mary Prince” – Black History Month Digital Theatre – Blue Elephant Theatre – 2020

“Watching and Waiting” – Live Theatre’s”10 minutes…to call Home” – Live Wired Digital Theatre – 2020

Ghosts of Stanley Halls” – “The Stanley Halls Murder Society”- Site specific theatre 2020

The Empire Strikes Back” shortlisted for the Capsule Theatre Festival – 2020

Hope”WinnerStream Lyric’s “Black Writers on Democracy” – Digital Theatre- 2020

“Mr Ten per cent” – Finalist (Top 3) Just Some Theatre’s Forward Dialogue Prize 2020

Long-listed for The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2019

Shortlisted for the Theatre 503 Five Playwrights programme 2019

“The Dinner Party” performed as part of New Slang Productions Race Today Showcase at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre 2019

The Pact” selected as a winner for the IMIS Out Loud Table Read competition and an extract performed at Zero One Studios 2019

Long-listed for the Clive & Sylvia Richards Pentabus Theatre Writer in Residence Bursary 2019

White Gloves” performed at Arcola Theatre as part of The Public Address 2019

The Thin Red Line” performed at RADA Studio’s as part of “Hear Me Now” Audition monologues for Actors of Colour, “The Perfect Match” also published (Oberon Books) 2018

Bones” an extract, rehearsed reading at Soho Theatre for Tamasha’s Playwrights Scratch Night 2018

The Funeral” performed at The Octagon Theatre’s Best of Bolton 2018

Generations” performed at Applecart Arts In Courage Festival 2018

The Empire Strikes Back” – Brave New Words Utopia/Dystopia Festival at Arcola Theatre 2018

“The End of Term Show”The One Festival at The Space Arts Centre in 2018

Selected as one of the Tamasha Theatre Playwrights (artists on attachment) for 2017/18

“Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Elbows” – performed at Tamasha Theatre’s Scratch Night at Soho Theatre and Second Sons Theatre’s Playtime at The Bunker Theatre 2017

“The Dinner Party” performed at Rich Mix as part of Barbican Open Lab/ New Slang Productions “Race Today” 2017

“The Only Way” – Shortlisted for the Bread & Roses Playwriting Award 2016/17

“Flurry” – The Pensive Federation’s Significant Other Festival at The Vaults 2017

“The Empire Strikes Back” – Rehearsed Reading at The Bread and Roses Theatre 2017

Antelopes and Misanthropes” – The One Festival at The Space Arts Centre in 2017

“Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Elbows” – Women@RADA – Asking For It – Love and Lust – Short play Showcase (The Arts Theatre) and Empower House (Theatre Royal Stratford East) 2015

The Body” – short play winner of First Draft – Rehearsed reading

Lambeth Readers and Writing Festival – 2015

“Mobile”- short radio play (BBC/Talawa/) 2010

“The Only Way” – stage play professional rehearsed reading (Young Vic/Talawa) Flipping the Script 2010

 

 

^