He has always written, even before he could write. A Decade of Writing.
John Klark has been writing plays for over a decade and established himself in 2002 when he graduated from the prestigious Royal Court's Young Writers Programme. His work has been performed in theatres all across the UK. Soho Theatre has described In (2003) as "the dialogue is elegant, sparse and emotive and reveals an acute awareness of dramatic rhythm and atmosphere" and the Royal Exchange noted Vulnerable Woman (2013) as "a delicately written and complex story of troubled individuals and their uneasy relationships."
John's play The Way Men Breathe (2013) was longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2013 and To The Dam (2013) is one of the ten plays selected for the 24:7 Theatre Festival in July 2014.
John is passionate about diversifying theatre audiences and bringing stories to the stage that are unknown or forgotten. He believes theatre can change our future and is a supporter of emerging playwrights through the 8th Wonder Creative Exchange.
John Klark - Playwright
Giving as the world gives
Full Length Plays
Cast: 4 Female, 6 Male
Running Time: 40 mins
While Joseph struggles to intervene in young peoples' lives by storytelling, should Alia take down the eye-chart for good? is there any point in Micky practising the piano anymore when all he hears are car alarms?
Giving as the world gives was written as part of the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre in 2002
In
Cast: 2 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 60 mins
In contemporary borderland between Tower Hamlets and Newham, Hannah is terrified to go out to the stairwell with her eyes open but Sonny wants her to really decide now between "out" or "in". Upstairs on the roof, Seb and Aisha's journey "out" takes them to a new shoreline of new light and strange nature.
In was written as part of the advanced group of the Young Writers' Programme at the Royal Court Theatre in 2003 and had a rehearsed reading there.
Circle To No Place
Cast: 1 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 60 mins
Adam packs his life away into boxes marked "FRAGILE". Jake still wants to play hide and seek. Adeola's rainwater comes straight from Allah. Is a takeaway in the clamped car really truly enough?
Circle to No Place was written in 2003 and got to the second round of the Verity Bargate Award.
Water Can Cut, Water Can Burn
Cast: 2 Female, 1 Male
Running Time: 50 mins
Not just hairdressing, this is hairstylizing. Hairstylizing for the Pharoah.
Water Can Cut, Water Can Burn was written in 2007
Cast: 2 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 70 mins
The Olympics comes to Stratford. But life carries on. Vulnerable Woman was written in 2013. It is currently under consideration for further development.
Described as "A delicately written and complex story of troubled individuals and their uneasy relationships." by the Royal Exchange Theatre.
Vulnerable Woman
Loving Offline
Cast: 2 Female, 4 Male
Running Time: 75 mins
Chat - online. Bulldoze house - online. Wear stilettos - online. Love - offline.
Loving Offline was written in 2013 and is a multimedia piece.
Fringes
Cast: 2 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 76 mins
Lock them in. No flinching. No sudden movements. The movements are so slow they're undetectable. A calmness. The clouds'll keep them still.
Fringes was writen in 2013 and is currently under consideration for further development.
To The Dam
Cast: 1 Female
Running Time: 60 mins
To the Dam was writen in 2013 and is showing as part of the 24:7 Theatre Festival in Manchester in July 2014.
Short Plays
Here I Am (2005)
Cast: 1 Female, 4 Male
Running Time: 15 mins
The story of what happens in blurred moments when ethnicity can be determined, but nationally cannot.
Here I am was writen in 2005 and appeared as a rehearsed reading at Stratford Circus in London. It has also been adapted for film.
Limit (2005)
Cast: 1 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 10 mins
Elena is a night-time halva addict. Ben likes to visit graves. Nathan's just not quite sure.
Limit was writen in 2005 and appeared as a rehearsed reading at Stratford Circus in London.
The Glint at Midday (2012)
Cast: 1 Female
Running Time: 10 mins
A silver ring. Backwards and forwards. Over a pint. Talking about chips.
The Glint at Midday was part of the "Voices of Todmorden" competition and was performed at the Todmorden Hippodrome in 2012.
Barefoot (2013)
Cast: 2 Female
Running Time: 15 mins
After a heavy night in Soho, Becca and Naomi wake up in Hebden Bridge, surrounded by women's struggles and history.
Barefoot appereared as part of the the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival in 2013.
Female Picasso (2013)
Cast: 2 Female, 1 Male
Running Time: 15 mins
Excuse me pal, right, you stop off here to admire women's jewellery and then you start lecturing or judging or....something?
This is modern Islam. This is modern art.
Female Picasso was written in 2013.
Fruits of the Forest (2013)
Cast: 2 Female, 2 Male
Running Time: 30 mins
I didn't will anything. I'm not a witch. I'ts nature. It's not something higher. We're just here. Down here. In this forest.
Does anyone really go into the forest for no good reason?
Fruits of the Forest was written in 2013.
Tell Me Something About Politics (2013)
Cast: 2 Male
Running Time: 10 mins
Awe. Fascinated. Amazed by it. You'll need to tell me.
Meeting in car parks and Thai restaurants is one thing, being alone is something else.
Tell Me Something About Politics was written in 2013.
Adam (2013)
Cast: 3 Male
Running Time: 4 mins
Set in London chronicling three distinct responses to the real-life discovery of young boy Adam's torso in the Thames, in 2001.
Adam was written in 2013 and is currently under consideration for further development.
The Way Men Breathe
Cast: 3 Male, 2 Female
Running Time: 100 mins
Written in response to reading about massacres in Latin America in the 1980s, this play is set in North-West England about a plumber, his apprentice and his family. The Way Men Breathe was longlisted for the 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting and was performed at the King's Arms in Salford in 2014.
Khadijah & Una (2013)
Cast: 2 Female
Running Time: 20 minutes
I never had a child. But if I had, she'd be you. And I'd love you.
Khadijah is Una's carer yet despite the age gap they both discover something new about love.
Lion in Somali (2014)
Cast: 1 Female, 1 Male
Running Time: 9 minutes
Lion in Somali is a surprising love story. It is currently under consideration for further development.
Find out more about John Klark's work in his recent interviews:
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To The Dam - will appear from 18th-24th July 2014 at the 24:7 Theatre Festival in Manchester.
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The Way Men Breathe - longlisted for the 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, was performed at the Kings Arms in Salford in January 2014.
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A Decade of Writing and the State of Today's Theatre - John's shares his views on today's theatre and his discusses work.
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Verbally Challenged - an insight into John's Blue Tape which was performed at Manchester's Contact Theatre in November 2013.
John Klark Interviews
Cast: 2 Female
Running Time: 45 minutes
Julia is older, just moved house and needs to start a new life, but is she necessarily wiser? Nina is younger, just lost her job and needs to sign on, but does she just run away? Midnight Sun is a play about two women living side by side and how, when the moon is as bright as the sun, their futures may tentatively begin.
Midnight Sun appears at the Hedben Bridge Little Theatre in March 2015.
Midnight Sun
