Kiln Associates

The New Vic Theatre will work with three Associate Artists – Khaos Theatre, Quick Duck and playwright James Morton – across the next year, as part of the theatre-in-the-round’s relaunched Kiln Associates programme. 

Led by Associate Director, Vicki Amedume, the New Vic’s artist development programme hopes to help build a richer and more dynamic arts sector locally and nationally by supporting independent companies and creatives, helping them to develop their ideas and practice. As well as up to £5,000 worth of investment each, the Associate Artists will have access to development space within the theatre, advice and support from New Vic staff and opportunities to observe rehearsals and other work.

More about the Associate Artists:

Khaos Theatre is an artist-led international company which explores contemporary stories in daring ways. Training as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts before co-establishing Khaos Theatre, director James Scotland takes his inspiration from the practices of repertory theatre, and likes to explore the way classical and modern performance can intersect. Recent projects include The Ballerina (Vault Festival, 2020) and creating interdisciplinary performance space The Sunday Art Club in Shoreditch. James was Assistant Director on She Ventures and He Wins (Young Vic, 2019).

Birmingham based company Quick Duck Theatre make queer shows with a lot of heart and a killer soundtrack. Winners of Best Ensemble at the National Student Drama Festival in 2019, the company’s interactive, comic productions include Magic Hour: The Murder Mystery Disco!, Yours Sincerely, and Fashion Spies and they have toured with critical acclaim to pubs, night clubs and high profile studio theatres and festivals across the UK.

New Vic Youth Theatre alumni and playwright James Morton completes the trio of Associate Artists for 2021/22.  Born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, James honed his craft with the National Theatre Playwright’s Toolkit, was a ‘Young Agitator’ at the Royal Court Theatre, and part of Soho Theatre Writer’s Lab in 2017/18. His short play Archipelago was performed at the Arcola Theatre in 2019. The youngest playwright to make the prestigious Tony Craze Award shortlist with his debut Father’s Son (Vault Festival, 2020), James writes plays that focus on the intimate, tender details of ordinary lives and tackle themes such as masculinity and grief.

What will the Associate Artists be working on?

Khaos Theatre will be developing their flagship production Macbeth PTSD during their time as a New Vic Associate Artist. Posing questions about history and English identity, the show sees Macbeth transposed to the golden age of piracy and the discovery of the ‘New World’; a place hazardous to anything that breathes and where all men and women must become beasts in order to survive.

Quick Duck will be working on new show Fashion Spies as part of their Associateship, a family-friendly choose-your-own-adventure comedy, and developing a new solo show by Will Jackson “Confetti”; a queer rom-com about a wedding planner.

As a New Vic Associate Artist, playwright James Morton will aim to develop a new play which he currently envisages as a love story set in pre-modern law, muddy England which will pull the rug from under the audience’s feet.

Applications are now closed to be a Kiln Associate for 2021/22.

In addition to Kiln Associates, the New Vic also run the Kiln Network. Find out more here