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Sumerah Srivastav

Writer - Stage / Television

Agent: Jean Kitson - jean@kitsonpress.co.uk

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Sumerah Srivastav is a screenwriter, playwright and librettist with a background in TV, film and radio production.

She is a regular writer on EastEnders and a BAFTA Crew participant (Film/TV) for 2018.

In 2017 she was identified as a rising star in the BBC’s New Talent Hotlist and was one of fourteen writers to complete the MediaXchange/Creative Skillset programme on Advanced Writing for TV drama with her original crime series First Response.

As a playwright she has been a member of the Royal Court Critical Mass and invited Studio Writers’ programmes, the Stratford East Musical Theatre Initiative, Orange Tree Writers Collective and The Criterion playwright programme.

Sumerah is a member of the Writers Guild, the Royal Television Society, Women in Film & TV and Mercury Musical Developments.

She is on Twitter @sumerahas and more info can be found at www.sumerah.com

Work

Current

First Response (TV Pilot)
MediaXchange

Crime Drama pilot script and series document developed as part of the MediaXchange scheme 2018.

High Frequency (Feature Film)
Air Street Films / Poisson Rouge Pictures

Contemporary feature film in development.

Bollywood Rose (Musical)
BEAM 2018 / MMD & MTN

Commissioned to showcase a 25’ extract of Bollywood-inspired contemporary musical at Theatre Royal Stratford East on 1st March 2018. Composer: Ajay Srivastav. Director: Adam Lenson.

Origami (Short Film)
130 Elektra Films

Sci fi short film in development with Pearl Mackie and Nicholas Pinnock attached. Directed by Jemma Gross.

Back In Time (Musical)
Rifco Arts

Seed commission to develop an original 80s-inspired musical. Composer: Ajay Srivastav. Director: Pravesh Kumar.

Television

Eastenders (2015 ongoing)
BBC

8 x 30’ episodes

Theatre

The Importance of Being Ismael (2017)
Epsilon Productions / artsdepot

An adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Earnest set in multicultural England.

Vigil (2017)
Tamasha

Public showcase of short play following week long R&D at the Barbican.

Hear Me Now (2017)
Tamasha

Audition monologues commissioned for publication compiled by Titi Dawudu and working with Company 3.

Jigsaw (2016)
Migration Museum

Short play commission for Migration Museum directed by Julia Voce.

Veiled & Vinegar (2015)
Redbridge Theatre Centre

One hour play performed at Redbridge Drama Centre and directed by Maria Pereira.
Based on her original 2014 short of the same name developed with seed funding from Tamasha Theatre Company directed by Jane Fallowfield and with additional support from Old Vic New Voices and Unity Theatre.

The Fairy King, Space Invaders and The Last 10lbs (2014-2015)
The Orange Tree

Short plays in response to The Orange Tree programme and performed as part of ‘Juicy Bits’ new writing showcase in June

Downfall (2013)
Equal Writes / Tamasha Theatre Co.

Short play performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre for Equal Writes directed by Amanda Castro. Originally commissioned in 2011 by Tamasha Theatre Company for rehearsed public reading at Soho Theatre and also later read by Unicorn Theatre’s Young Company.

Border Lies (2012)
Kali Theatre Co.

Full length play developed with Kali Theatre Company for rehearsed public reading at Soho Theatre, directed by Elizabeth Freestone.

Blind Love (2011)

Short play shortlisted for The Windsor Fringe Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing.

For the Love of Her (2010)

Short play for Write Now Festival reading at Brockley Jack Studio Theatre.

Film

Too Many Balls (2004)

Writer & Director of short film shown at Bite the Mango film festival.