‘
Sheep Love To Die’ receives its professional debut at the Printers Playhouse in Eastbourne (Jan 2024)
Runner up in the Mercury Playwriting Prize 2017 for ‘The Furrow’
Profile:
Phil Tong is a graduate of the Dramatic Writing MA at Sussex University
who has had nine plays premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2000 in
addition to work produced in London, Paris, Milan and Eastbourne.
Now writing full-time he was, until 2014, Director of Drama at the City of
London Freemen’s School and has taught a great many students who
have gone on to successful careers in theatre, tv and film including
Andrew Garfield and Kelly Reilly.
In addition he has taught on graduate and under-graduate courses at
institutions such as Goldsmiths London University.
Since 2022 he has been a founding member of the Play2Stage group at the
Printers Playhouse in Eastbourne and is also a member of Sussex
Playwrights where his work is regularly aired and shared.
His work written for Young People’s Theatre has been published by
TreePress and ScriptStore.
Reviews:
The complex plot is gripping - The Scotsman
A remarkable achievement. Relationships are scrutinised fearlessly -
TES
The play poetically captures the excitement and sadness of growing up
during the fifties, through the eyes of children and their parents - The
Scotsman
The narrative is superb as it mutates and distorts as the plot thickens
and progresses; with each haunting revelation hitting harder than the
last. - 3 Weeks
New Work:
Sheep Love To Die (2022) -
"I feel like we’ve been shifted sideways. Here but not. Slid invisibly out
from somewhere to somewhere else. Slipped out of the loop. The gears no
longer engaged. Like we’re freewheeling.”
Evelyn and Constance are two elderly sisters quietly going about their
own lives when suddenly, on one fateful afternoon, two worlds collide. Yet, if the truth were known they have always been slightly out of sync both with each other and the world. ‘Sheep Love To Die’ is a play that explores what we know, what we don’t know and what we don’t even know we don’t know.
In Development:
A Circus of Sorrows and The Curl of the Night are being considered by Papatango
Just Out of Reach has been entered for the Verity Bargate Award
Work since 2014:
The Furrow
The Horses (Revised 2024)
The Lonely Sea and the Sky (Film Script)
Nails and Me (Play and Film Script)
Sally (Film Script)
When the Bough Breaks
The Bone Yard (Revised 2024)
Ridiculous (Radio Play)
The Beach Road (Radio Play)
Sheep Love To Die
A Circus of Sorrows
The Curl of the Night
The End of the Game
Felicity
Just Out of Reach
Past Work:
The Furrow - Mercury Theatre Colchester 2017
The Horses - Edinburgh 2014
For The Love of Willie (Adapted from the novel by Agnes Owens) - Edinburgh
2012
Food For Thought - Milan 2011(Barilla)
The Now Generation - London - Queen Elizabeth Hall (Consumer Goods
Forum) 2010
The Typhoid Marys - Edinburgh 2010
The Withering (Based on The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy) - Edinburgh
2008
The Lonely Sea and the Sky - Edinburgh 2006
Paula’s Children - Edinburgh 2005
Like Water For Chocolate (Adapted from the novel by Laura Esquivel) -
Edinburgh 2003
Making Echoes (Adapted from the short stories of Janet Frame) - Edinburgh
2001
A Mother’s Song - Edinburgh 2000
Education:
University of Sussex - M.A. in Dramatic Writing (Distinction) 2006.
University of Sussex - M.A. in Language, the Arts and Education 1989.
Southbank University/Royal Society of Arts - Advanced Diploma Drama (in Education) 1985
London University/Royal Society of Arts - Associateship of the Drama Board 1980
London University/Kingston University - Certificate of Education and QTS 1977
Other:
Finalist in London Evening News Student Drama Festival - Bloomsbury Theatre
Freelance writer for the National Theatre Education Department producing work packs for schools and students (1989 - 91)
Runner up in the Mercury New Playwrighting Award 2017
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