
Writer
Kamal Kaan is an actor and writer who writes for stage, screen and radio. Having graduated from The University of Cambridge, he was awarded the Brian Park Scholarship (Shed Productions) to undertake an MA in TV Fiction Writing at Glasgow Caledonian University. He is an alumni of the Royal Court Young Writer’s Programme, the Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers’ Programme, was a Writer-in-Residence at Leeds Playhouse and selected for the BBC Writersroom Drama Room. He is currently taking part in the Warner Bros Discovery Access Northern Writers Programme in association with Wall to Wall and the Royal Exchange Theatre through which he is developing a new one-hour TV pilot.
Kamal worked on Clio Barnard’s double BAFTA nominated feature Ali and Ava as story, location and cultural consultant. His BFI short film ‘All The Lights Still Burning’ premiered at the 2023 London Film Festival and currently being developed as a feature film. He was selected as part of the prestigious BFI Network@LFF Programme as part of the festival. Kamal’s Channel 4 short Me and the Witch is currently being developed for television. Kamal has developed original projects with Duck Soup and Woolyback Productions.
Selected and awarded the BFI Early Development Fund to develop a full treatment with the BFI on a feature film, with BAFTA winning producer Lowri Roberts.
Developing a one-hour TV pilot
Short film. Selected to be part of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 Forge Film programme. Written by Kamal, Ryan will also be his directorial debut.
One episode of Duck Soup’s debut 8×30′ TV commission with Channel 4
Short film funded by Channel 4 – a social realist story with a supernatural twist.
A BFI short film set in Bradford, directed by award-winning director Dominic Leclerc.
Premiered at the 2023 London Film Festival. Selected for the 2024 BFI Flare Festival, 2023 London Indian Film Festival and 2024 Bradford International Film Festival.
Winner: Best of Bradford at the inaugural Bradford International Film Festival 2024
Worked with Clio Barnard as Story Consultant on her feature film, which received its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival and UK premiere at the London Film Festival.
Writers’ room and consultancy with Bandit for the BBC
Original television project developed with Duck Soup
A 3-part series for BBC Radio 4, based on the real life story of a girls’ cricket team set in Bradford. Co-written with Mary Cooper and broadcast April 2024.
1 x 45mins based on the true story of a British-Bangladeshi football fan group supporting Bradford City football club, co-written with Mary Cooper. Broadcast on 27th January 2022. Listen Here.
45′ afternoon play broadcast on 12th August 2019
Radio Drama
15′ radio drama responding to the theme of migration. Performed live at the Leeds College of Music from the 23rd-27th October 2018, before being broadcast across BBC Radio Drama.
1×45′
An original single drama recorded site specifically in Bradford about what it means to leave and return back to the place that once used to be home. TX August 2017.
1×5′
Commissioned pilot script for BBC Music day for radio monologue inspired by a piece of classical music.
1×30′
Episode 3 of a poetry-led documentary exploring the impact of flooding in the North of England and Bangladesh, weaving personal testimonies with a narrative poetic ballad. Listen here.
1×8′
A radio monologue based on the ideas of Mindfulness, inspired by the poetry of Persian poet Rumi.
WINNER: Verb New Voices 3 – New Writing North. Click here.
A collaboration with The Bradford Belles showcasing the unheard stories of extraordinary Bradfordians.
A public poetry commission for the exterior of the building.
A site-specific pop up opera performed in shopping centres around the Bradford District.
A part VR, part live experience. Original run from 30th November to the 17th December 2022 at Tara Theatre. Second run 19th – 21st May 2023 at Theatre in the Mill.
Wrote ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ read by Arian Nik, released on Northern Broadsides Winter Tales podcast on 28th December 2022.
Links:
Northern Broadsides
Listen on Spotify
Commissioned for a new play – a contemporary retelling of Antigone staged in a mixed live and online format, October 2021.
A monologue for stage and film alongside Maxine Peake and Simon Armitage celebrating 50 years of the Leeds Playhouse. Kamal wrote ‘2010s’. Opened May 2021.
5 monologues about the Covid-19 lockdown, with original compositions from 5 different composers and performed with a 7 piece orchestra. Listen here.
A new stage play about the global pandemic, commissioned and produced by Knaïve Theatre for the inaugural season of Knaïve Theatre presents: A Digital Lyceum. The play was performed at Knaïve Theatre’s pop-up digital venue on the 10th, 11th & 12th of December 2020, using Zoom livestreamed to YouTube.
Theatre commission for early development on a contemporary opera
Development and dramaturg of a new work for Northern Stage’s Young Company. Produced April 2018.
Stage Play.
A tragic love story set against an unforgiving Bradford landscape, written as part of Emerging Writers Group 2016/17.
1×15′
Re-comissioned for the Durham Book Festival 2016. Performed using wireless headphones within the setting of the historic Chapel in St. Chad’s College, Durham University.
1×45′
Stockwood Garden, Luton.
Site specific promenade theatre in collaboration with musicians, actors and dancers, following the story of an immigrant bird – Bulbal, and a young girl – Rose.
1×60′
Immersive theatre exploring the relationship between our human condition and the weather conditions. The audience navigated the action with a field guide and wireless headphones. Made in collaboration with David Shearing – winner of the Sky Arts Scholarship, 2014.
1×30′
The first phase of The Weather Machine in the context of a regional theatre, exploring the means of scripted text through wireless headphones
1×45′
A multi media performance combining text, sound and video.
Made in collaboration with David Shearing.
WINNER: Best Installation at World Stage Design, Wales 2013.
1×24′
A multi media theatre installation made in collaboration with David Shearing. Expereinced through wireless headphones, exploring love and loss inspired by the poetry of William Blake.
Hodgkiss Award – Royal Exchange Theatre (2016) I Really Need To Talk To Ya
Final 7 shortlist for Hodgkiss Award – Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. A site specific interactive installation
Current | ||
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Production | Company | Notes |
Sacrilege (2024) | BFI | Selected and awarded the BFI Early Development Fund to develop a full treatment with the BFI on a feature film, with BAFTA winning producer Lowri Roberts.
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Warnes Bros Discovery Access Northern Writers Programme | Royal Exchange Theatre / Wall to Wall | Developing a one-hour TV pilot |
Ryan (2024) | Screen Yorkshire and Bradford 2025 | Short film. Selected to be part of the Bradford City of Culture 2025 Forge Film programme. Written by Kamal, Ryan will also be his directorial debut. |
Dance School | Duck Soup/Channel 4 | One episode of Duck Soup’s debut 8×30′ TV commission with Channel 4 |
Me and the Witch | Channel 4 | Short film funded by Channel 4 – a social realist story with a supernatural twist. |
Film & Television | ||
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Production | Company | Notes |
All The Lights Still Burning (2022) | BFI Network/BFI Film Hub North | A BFI short film set in Bradford, directed by award-winning director Dominic Leclerc. Premiered at the 2023 London Film Festival. Selected for the 2024 BFI Flare Festival, 2023 London Indian Film Festival and 2024 Bradford International Film Festival. Winner: Best of Bradford at the inaugural Bradford International Film Festival 2024 |
Ali & Ava | Clio Barnard | Worked with Clio Barnard as Story Consultant on her feature film, which received its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival and UK premiere at the London Film Festival. |
The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters | Bandit/BBC | Writers’ room and consultancy with Bandit for the BBC |
Us Lot | Duck Soup | Original television project developed with Duck Soup |
Radio | ||
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Production | Company | Notes |
BatGirls (2024) | BBC Radio 4 | A 3-part series for BBC Radio 4, based on the real life story of a girls’ cricket team set in Bradford. Co-written with Mary Cooper and broadcast April 2024. |
Afternoon Drama: Bangla Bantams (2022) | BBC Radio 4 | 1 x 45mins based on the true story of a British-Bangladeshi football fan group supporting Bradford City football club, co-written with Mary Cooper. Broadcast on 27th January 2022. Listen Here.
|
Afternoon Drama: Father's Land in Mother Tongue (2019) | BBC Radio 4 | 45′ afternoon play broadcast on 12th August 2019 |
Airplays: On Hearing the First Cuckoos in Spring (2018) | Leeds Playhouse/BBC Radio Leeds | Radio Drama 15′ radio drama responding to the theme of migration. Performed live at the Leeds College of Music from the 23rd-27th October 2018, before being broadcast across BBC Radio Drama. |
Afternoon Drama: Breaking Up with Bradford (2017) | BBC Radio 4 | 1×45′ |
On Hearing The First Cuckoo In Spring | BBC Radio 3/Writersroom North | 1×5′ |
The Headline Ballads: Whilst The Water Weeps Next To The Water | BBC Radio 4 | 1×30′ |
As The Cloud Takes It's Last Breath (2015) | 1×8′ |
Theatre | ||
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Production | Company | Notes |
It's A Waterful Life (2024) | Freedom Studios | A collaboration with The Bradford Belles showcasing the unheard stories of extraordinary Bradfordians. |
Me, You, Haiku (2024) | Bradford Arts Centre | A public poetry commission for the exterior of the building. |
Perfume: A Pop Up Opera (2023) | Freedom Studios | A site-specific pop up opera performed in shopping centres around the Bradford District. |
AMMA (2022-2023) | Tara Theatre | A part VR, part live experience. Original run from 30th November to the 17th December 2022 at Tara Theatre. Second run 19th – 21st May 2023 at Theatre in the Mill. |
Winter Tales (2022) | Northern Broadsides Theatre Company | Wrote ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ read by Arian Nik, released on Northern Broadsides Winter Tales podcast on 28th December 2022. Links:
|
Aaliyah: After Antigone (2021) | Freedom Studios | Commissioned for a new play – a contemporary retelling of Antigone staged in a mixed live and online format, October 2021. |
Decades (2021) | Leeds Playhouse | A monologue for stage and film alongside Maxine Peake and Simon Armitage celebrating 50 years of the Leeds Playhouse. Kamal wrote ‘2010s’. Opened May 2021. |
Lockdown Diaries (2020) | Skipton Camerara | 5 monologues about the Covid-19 lockdown, with original compositions from 5 different composers and performed with a 7 piece orchestra. Listen here. |
Us (2020) | Knaive Theatre | A new stage play about the global pandemic, commissioned and produced by Knaïve Theatre for the inaugural season of Knaïve Theatre presents: A Digital Lyceum. The play was performed at Knaïve Theatre’s pop-up digital venue on the 10th, 11th & 12th of December 2020, using Zoom livestreamed to YouTube. |
Pop Up Opera (2019) | Freedom Studios, Bradford | Theatre commission for early development on a contemporary opera |
Where Do We Stand (2017-2018) | Northern Stage | Development and dramaturg of a new work for Northern Stage’s Young Company. Produced April 2018. |
Sacrilege (2016) | The Bush Theatre | Stage Play. |
As The Cloud Takes Its Last Breath (2016) | St. Chad's Chapel | 1×15′ Re-comissioned for the Durham Book Festival 2016. Performed using wireless headphones within the setting of the historic Chapel in St. Chad’s College, Durham University. |
The Rose and Bulbul (2016) | Kadam/The Hat Factory | 1×45′ Stockwood Garden, Luton. |
The Weather Machine (2015) | Stage@Leeds | 1×60′ Immersive theatre exploring the relationship between our human condition and the weather conditions. The audience navigated the action with a field guide and wireless headphones. Made in collaboration with David Shearing – winner of the Sky Arts Scholarship, 2014. |
R&D of The Weather Machine (2014) | The West Yorkshire Playhouse | 1×30′ The first phase of The Weather Machine in the context of a regional theatre, exploring the means of scripted text through wireless headphones |
And It All Comes Down To This (2012) | Stage@Leeds | 1×45′ A multi media performance combining text, sound and video. |
If Anyone Wonders Why Rocks Breakdown (2011) | Stage@Leeds | 1×24′ A multi media theatre installation made in collaboration with David Shearing. Expereinced through wireless headphones, exploring love and loss inspired by the poetry of William Blake. |
Other | ||
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Channel 4/ Lime Pictures Northumbria University, Television Writing Awards for Hollyoaks (2016).
Top 10 shortlisted for intensive workshop day story lining and producing a scene by scene for an original episode.
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BBC: Drama Submission for Scriptroom 5- BBC Writersroom (2014)
Shortlisted to top 5% from 1200 submissions for the drama room submission.
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ITV: Emmerdale BAME New Writers Initiative (2012)
Shortlisted and given full script feedback on a pilot script for a television drama.
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BBC Writers Festival ‘Skylight Initiative’ (2012)
Participation by invitation to the festival, receiving intensive workshops with leading TV writers.
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BBC : The Comedy Studio, BBC Writersroom (2011)
Long-listed with a pilot script for a television sit-com.
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Hodgkiss Award – Royal Exchange Theatre (2016) I Really Need To Talk To Ya Final 7 shortlist for Hodgkiss Award – Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. A site specific interactive installation
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