Stephen Brown is a playwright, dramaturg and creative writing tutor. He is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Queen Mary University in London. He has given creative feedback to scores of creative writing students and professional writers. His approach is sympathetic, detailed and creative: he aims not just to point out problems but also to suggest fruitful new directions.
Stephen’s adaptation of Rory Stewart’s bestselling memoir Occupational Hazards was produced on the main stage at Hampstead Theatre in 2017 and broadcast on Radio 4. His play Dr Semmelweis, an epic tale of 19th-century medical discovery, starring Mark Rylance and directed by Tom Morris, will premiere at Bristol Old Vic in late 2021 or early 2022. He is currently adapting his short story ‘Ishmael’ into a film for Dog Rose Productions and working as dramaturg on Clod Ensemble’s This is My Room for performance in summer 2021.
I am particularly excited to have Stephen on the Writing Coach team as I have chosen him as my own mentor, as I complete my first play. Stephen is incredibly knowledgeable about the genre and is a brilliant and astute teacher; I cannot recommend him highly enough to aspiring playwrights – Jacqui Lofthouse
Stephen’s patient, thoughtful approach put me at ease from the start. His extensive knowledge of theatre-making and what goes into a successful play was invaluable. His comments not only helped me to think freshly about the work we discussed, they sparked real changes in my writing process. Thanks to his guidance and encouragement, I now have a much firmer sense of what I need to do to evolve as a writer. Anne Rouse