About

Dawn is an award-winning writer working in theatre, film, TV, VR and radio. Born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, she now lives in London, near Epping Forest, where she spends a lot of time with her dog in the woods.

Dawn’s work has been translated into many languages and performed internationally. She is also an experienced writing teacher, teaching playwriting and screenwriting to adults and teenagers. She also mentors privately (for rates, please make first contact via her agent.)

In 2004 - 2005, Dawn studied for an MA in Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths and was awarded a distinction. She received a grant to support her study from the Arts and Humanities Research Board. Since then Dawn has completed numerous residencies and attachments including; London Theatre Consortium Artist Climate Emergency Lab, September 2019 (nominated by the Donmar Warehouse) Art Omi (USA) playwriting residency, April 2019, National Theatre digital lab virtual reality attachment August and December 2017, Virginia Centre For Creative Arts (USA) playwriting residency, October 2016, National Theatre Studio playwriting attachment January and February 2014, 4 Screenwriting 2013 (Run by Channel Four TV), Pearson Playwright In Residence at The Finborough Theatre 2012, BBC Writersroom 10 (attached to West Yorkshire Playhouse) 2011

Dawn’s previous stage work includes; immersive dystopian rave DYSTOPIA987 for Manchester International Festival, a collaboration with Skepta and National Theatre Connections play SALT, both in 2019.

Dawn's play FOXFINDER was revived in the West End in 2018 by Bill Kenwright, directed by Rachel O’Riordan and starring Iwan Rheon. Previously, Foxfinder won the Papatango Theatre Company new writing competition in 2011 and was produced at the Finborough Theatre, London. For Foxfinder, Dawn won the Royal National Theatre Foundation Playwright award 2013. She also won Most Promising Playwright at the Off West End awards 2012 and was shortlisted for Best New Play at the Off West End awards 2012, the Susan Smith Blackburn prize 2012 and the James Tait Black drama prize 2011/2012.

Her major adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s classic science fiction novel BRAVE NEW WORLD, which was a co-production between the Royal and Derngate Theatre and the Touring Consortium, and toured the UK from September to December 2015. CIPHERS, a co-production between Out Of Joint Theatre Company, The Bush Theatre and Exeter Northcott, toured the UK in 2013 and played at the Bush in 2014 where it sold out, and has subsequently been produced internationally. It was longlisted for the James Tait Black drama prize 2014.

Dawn's previous screen work includes her adaptation of her stage play CIPHERS for Cowboy Films, which made the Brit List of the best 'yet to shoot' screenplays as selected by the UK film industry in 2016. Dawn’s short film THE KÁRMÁN LINE, starring Olivia Colman and Shaun Dooley and directed by Oscar Sharp, played festivals around the world. It won eighteen awards including Best Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards, and was nominated for a BAFTA. Dawn was a Screen International 'Star of Tomorrow' 2014. Her feature film script The Squatter’s Handbook won the UK Film Council’s 25 Words or Less pitching competition in 2005.

Dawn has written extensively for Radio and her radio plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 4 Extra and BBC Radio 3.