Nicola Martin
DYCP: From Solo-Theatre to 1st Memoir - Book Proposal
Past Work
(Made under the name Nicola Wren)
REPLAY - 2017/2018
Pleasance Courtyard @ Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre & 59E59 Theatre
Writer/Performer
In REPLAY, a deeply personal, though fictional, play, I explored the lasting impact of suicide on a sibling. The story follows a police officer who, in the lead up to an interview, finds herself reluctantly questioning if she can truly 'be herself' while repressing a fundamental childhood trauma. The character's journey is one of re-connection to her past in order to find acceptance in the present. REPLAY was published by Methuen Drama.
Extract - 2 Scenes
Pages run from left to right across the screen.
SUPERSTAR - 2019
Underbelly @ Edinburgh Fringe & Southwark Playhouse
Writer/Performer
In my first fully autobiographical play SUPERSTAR, I mined my experience of growing up in a big family to examine the ways in which we seek belonging and approval from our loved ones and the world at large. I experimented with form & theatrical devices to explore the role of the unreliable narrator, playing a heightened version of myself, on a misguided quest for fame and fortune. The play starts as a hammy 'showcase' but is turned on its head when important audience members don’t arrive – over 70 minutes I interwove sections from the ‘intended play’ with ‘off script’ moments, creating a connection with my audience through confessional moments throughout my 'character' journey to authenticity and acceptance of reality.
2 Minute subtitled clip from Southwark Playhouse, 2019
Select 'Replay' Reviews
Select 'Superstar' Reviews
“Intimate and revelatory. [Wren has] bags of personality, abundant talent and star quality” .
★★★★
“What makes Superstar most captivating is the intimacy Wren creates with the audience,
as if she was telling you this story one on one, over a morning coffee”
★★★★
Well constructed and delivered with charm. [Her show] really is a treat.”
★★★★
Scottish Daily Mail
“Wren has crafted a gem that anyone can find beauty and meaning in”
★★★★★
★★★★
“Wren’s striking performance that leaves the audience roaring with laugher.”
★★★★
★★★★
Three Weeks
★★★★
EdFringe Review
