Marie Cooper

I am a writer and actor based in Norfolk in the United Kingdom. I write for the stage and screen. I am an actor and began writing initially, as many actors do, to write myself a decent part. There didn't seem to be many challenging and satisfying roles for a woman my age. But as I wrote, I found myself increasingly enchanted by my characters, who were more than happy to take over my attempts at writing myself into my work. I am yet to achieve this, other than in monologue form, but I have found myself enraptured into a life of writing. I saw my first work performed on stage for Scratch in 2018 at The Garage Theatre. My scene, 'Abandoned Places', was included in the promenade play 'Spirit of the Place' by The Slow Theatre Company later that year. I was privileged to receive an Arts Council England award for a Literacy Consultancy Free Read of my first full stageplay in 2019. I wrote and saw my short play "Cat Sick' read by the Sewell Barn Theatre Company in September 2020. I completed my full stage play during the UK Covid lockdown 2020. I recently submitted it to be read for review by a London theatre.

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
https://www.mariecooperactor.com
FB: @mariecooperacting
TW: @marie_cooper
IG: @mariecooperactor

MORE ABOUT ME
*What play or production changed your life? 
A performance called 'Wolf's Child'. It was a promenade theatre piece performed in the grounds of a stately home in Norfolk. The beautiful surroundings made the story come alive. I was a magical experience, from arriving in daylight to the story moving throughout the grounds as dusk fell and a choir sang. There were characters purely there to interact with the audience and guide them around the "stages". The stages included the base of a tree, the front of the stately home, the woods, and paths in between. There was even a point where two of the characters rode horses whilst the audience followed along, observing the story in real-time. The audience at the start was split into groups by performers dressed as crows who gave them a playing card that designated to which group they would belong. I have seen many performances, but this one has always stuck with me emotionally. 

WHAT I'M WORKING ON
A stageplay. The first draft is being read at the moment and I am waiting for the initial review.

KEYWORDS
Historical, Political, Thriller, Social Commentary​