CAPA College student's award-winning play to be debuted in Wakefield

A young scriptwriter who studied at Wakefield’s CAPA College will see her award-winning play performed at theatres in Yorkshire.
Isabel HagueIsabel Hague
Isabel Hague

At the age of 16, student Isabel Hague won the prestigious 2019 New Views scriptwriting competition which gives young people the opportunity to develop their writing skills with support from the National Theatre, and see their work performed at the Dorfman Theatre.

Isabel said: “When I first heard about the competition, I knew that I wanted to enter it.

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“I’ve always loved writing and I did a lot of descriptive writing in school.

“I was just like, well, this is a good excuse to write a play isn’t it?

“I didn’t expect much from it and then it was so surreal when I won.”

Early last year Momentum Theatre, CAPA College’s in-house professional theatre company, were awarded funding from Arts Council England to develop If Not Now When? into a regional research and development tour.

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After a rehearsed reading at Theatre Royal Wakefield on October 26, If Not Now, When? will open at The Civic, Barnsley on November 12 and then go onto the Junction, Goole on November 18.

The script, which celebrates the playwright’s northern upbringing, explores the turbulent relationship of protagonist Liam and his sister Chelsey.

Isabel said: “The plot isn’t from my experience, but it’s definitely based on stories I’ve heard and people I’ve met.

“I think we’ve all got an attitude in the north that you kind of get on with stuff and that’s definitely something that I wanted to push in my piece.

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“The north is a very collective place. I can go to a bus stop and talk to anybody and that’s something that

“I’m so proud of so I’ve integrated that in the piece – those connections that we have with each other.”

It will be performed at Theatre Royal Wakefield on Tuesday.

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