Rachel Barnett has been named the first ever writer in residence for the town of Milton Keynes as part of the town’s 50th birthday celebrations.
We published her play collection Four Short Plays for Young People which was enthusiastically received by The Stage who said “It’s never easy to find inclusive, meaty plays suitable for youth theatres or schools so this contribution from well established children’s playwright Rachel Barnett (whose adaptation of Gorilla is currently enjoying a revival at Polka Theatre) is very welcome. Rocketfuel is a nicely balanced piece about risk taking and boundaries commissioned for gap year students to perform in secondary schools. LOL: Laughing Out Loud, Crying Insideis about cyberbullying and the role of bystanders, intended for performance to 11-14 year olds by slightly older students. Three Shoes and Noah make up the quartet. All four plays are fine, thoughtful pieces likely to inspire discussion. Commissioned and successful in their original settings, they are now being made available for more widespread use.â€