Supporting Wall

This article is about the theatre company. For the structure in construction, see Load-bearing wall.

Supporting Wall was an award-winning London-based theatre and general arts production, promotion and management company, founded in 2008 by producers Ben Monks and Will Young and operated for nine years until 2017.[1] The company's own productions primarily focused on new writing and contemporary theatre, while management and publicity work has included projects across theatre, comedy, film, festivals, live music and dance - including work at the BFI Southbank, Royal National Theatre and many others.[2] During most of this time, Ben Monks and Will Young were also based at the Actors Centre as creative producers for the Tristan Bates Theatre.[3][4] In November 2023 Will Young was appointed executive director of London's Royal Court Theatre.[5]

Productions

Supporting Wall's original productions include:

Production Writer Director Venue Year
Blue Heaven Tennessee Williams Abigail Graham Finborough Theatre, London[6] 2009
Big Breath In Oscar Wood & Company Matthew Evans Tour, London & South East 2009
Three Shit Hot Shorts Dean Stalham Sam Miller, Emily Lim, Pam Brighton Camden Fringe 2009
Moonfleece Philip Ridley David Mercatali London & UK Tour 2010
Election Drama Various Various New Players Theatre 2010
The Jewish Wife (JMK Award Winner[7]) Bertolt Brecht Matthew Evans Battersea Arts Centre 2010
Tender Napalm Philip Ridley David Mercatali Southwark Playhouse[8] 2011
Yellow Daniel Saleeb Daniel Saleeb Tete a Tete Festival / Riverside Studios 2011
Shallow Slumber Chris Lee Mary Nighy Soho Theatre[9] 2012
Tender Napalm Philip Ridley David Mercatali UK Tour[10] 2012
Dark Vanilla Jungle (Fringe First Award winner[11]) Philip Ridley David Mercatali Soho Theatre, London; Royal Exchange, Manchester and Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival 2013
Our Ajax Timberlake Wertenbaker David Mercatali Southwark Playhouse[12] 2013
Jonny & the Baptists: The Stop UKIP Tour Jonny Donahoe & Paddy Gervers The company UK Tour / Soho Theatre [13] 2014
Dark Vanilla Jungle Philip Ridley David Mercatali UK Tour & Soho Theatre [14] 2014
Jonny & the Baptists: The Satiric Verses Jonny Donahoe & Paddy Gervers The company The Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival [15] 2014
Bull (Olivier Award Winner[16]) Mike Bartlett (playwright) Clare Lizzimore Young Vic Theatre [17] 2015
Radiant Vermin Philip Ridley David Mercatali Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol / Soho Theatre, London [18] 2015
Jonny & the Baptists Rock The Vote Jonny Donahoe & Paddy Gervers The company UK Tour & Soho Theatre [19] 2015
You Look Tasty (A Play By A Tiger) Stewart Pringle David Mercatali The Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival [20] 2015
Tonight with Donny Stixx Philip Ridley David Mercatali Pleasance, Edinburgh Festival [21] 2015
Jonny & the Baptists: The End Is Nigh Jonny Donahoe & Paddy Gervers The company Paines Plough Roundabout Theatre (Southbank Centre / Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival) & UK Tour [22] 2015-16
Octagon Kristiana Colon Nadia Latif Arcola Theatre, London [23] 2015
Jonny & the Baptists: Eat the Poor Jonny Donahoe & Paddy Gervers The company Paines Plough Roundabout Theatre (Summerhall, Edinburgh Festival) & UK Tour [24] 2016-17
Radiant Vermin Philip Ridley David Mercatali 59E59 Theaters, New York[25] 2016
Thirty Christmases Jonny Donahoe, with Paddy Gervers Alice Hamilton Old Fire Station, Oxford & New Diorama Theatre, London [26] 2017-18

Awards and nominations

Supporting Wall's productions won or were nominated for various awards, including for Bull the 2015 Olivier Award for Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre;[27] for Dark Vanilla Jungle a Fringe First Award[11] and a nomination for lead actress Gemma Whelan for the Stage Award for Best Solo Performance;[28] for Tender Napalm, winning the OffWestEnd.Com Award for Best Actress for Vinette Robinson[29] and a nomination for the Evening Standard Outstanding Newcomer Award for director David Mercatali;[30] for Shallow Slumber, nominations for the OffWestEnd.Com Best Actress Award for both Amy Cudden and Alexandra Gilbreath, as well as for Best New Play at the same awards;[31] and for The Jewish Wife, winning the JMK director's award for Matthew Evans.[7]

For Supporting Wall Ben Monks and Will Young were jointly nominated for the OffWestEnd.Com Best Producer Award twice consecutively in 2011[32] & 2012.[33]

References

  1. ^ "supporting wall". supporting wall. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  2. ^ "Producer Profile: Ben Qasim Monks". Stage One. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Year of the Producer". WhatsonStage. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  4. ^ "New TBT Producer". The Actors Centre. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ^ "New Diorama's Will Young to join artistic director David Byrne at Royal Court".
  6. ^ "Blue Heaven – Finborough Theatre".
  7. ^ a b "Winner 2010".
  8. ^ "Tender Napalm". 19 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Shallow Slumber - Soho Theatre". www.sohotheatre.com. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Tender Napalm". www.tendernapalm.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012.
  11. ^ a b "Latest Fringe Firsts include Waller-Bridge's Fleabag and Ridley's Dark Vanilla Jungle | WhatsOnStage". 16 August 2013.
  12. ^ "Our Ajax". 6 November 2013.
  13. ^ "This week's new live comedy". TheGuardian.com. 28 March 2014.
  14. ^ http://www.scotsman.com/what-s-on/theatre-comedy-dance/philip-ridley-on-the-return-of-dark-vanilla-jungle-1-3316034 [dead link‍]
  15. ^ "Jonny & the Baptists: The Satiric Verses".
  16. ^ "Olivier Awards success for Angela Lansbury and Sunny Afternoon". BBC News. 13 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Bull". 11 December 2015.
  18. ^ "Radiant Vermin - Soho Theatre". www.sohotheatre.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Jonny and the Baptists review – jokes about the election, equality ... And willies". TheGuardian.com. 27 April 2015.
  20. ^ https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/you-look-tasty-play-tiger#overview [dead link‍]
  21. ^ https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/tonight-donny-stixx#overview [dead link‍]
  22. ^ "Jonny & The Baptists | Southbank Centre". Archived from the original on 11 September 2015.
  23. ^ "Arcola Theatre". www.arcolatheatre.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Jonny & the Baptists: Eat the Poor - Summerhall August Festival 2016Summerhall August Festival 2016".
  25. ^ "Philip Ridley's RADIANT VERMIN to Receive US Premiere as Part of Brits off Broadway at 59E59 Theaters".
  26. ^ "Thirty Christmases review, Old Fire Station, Oxford, 2016".
  27. ^ "Olivier Awards 2015: full list of winners". The Daily Telegraph. London. 12 April 2015.
  28. ^ "Awards".
  29. ^ "The 2012 off West End Awards". 6 February 2012.
  30. ^ "London Evening Standard Theatre Awards longlist revealed". 10 April 2012.
  31. ^ "Subscription". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  32. ^ "Subscription". Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  33. ^ [1][dead link‍]


Stub icon

This British theatre–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.