# Chris Urch

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**Chris Urch** is an [English](/source/England) [playwright](/source/Playwright) whose works are known for exploring themes of social justice and [LGBTQ rights](/source/LGBTQ_rights_by_country_or_territory). His works have been staged in the [West End](/source/West_End_theatre), in touring productions across the UK, as well as internationally in [Australia](/source/Australia) and the [US](/source/US).

## Early life

Urch grew up in [Midsomer Norton](/source/Midsomer_Norton) in [Somerset](/source/Somerset).[2] In his childhood, he participated in his local theatre group, Merriman Theatre Company.[3] He went on to train at the [Drama Centre](/source/Drama_Centre_London) as an actor, before turning to writing plays.[2]

## Career

### Stage works

Urch had had no formal training in playwriting before pursuing this path. However, he has credited his training as an actor for helping him write characters and dialogues.[4] His career in playwriting was kickstarted at [Theatre503](/source/Theatre503), where he was selected for the 503Five residency scheme for young writers.[5] His debut play, *Vote of No Confidence*, was later staged at the same theatre in 2013 as part of its LabFest, produced by Without a Paddle Theatre Company.[6] The production was selected by [Howard Brenton](/source/Howard_Brenton) as part of *The* *Playwright Presents* scheme - where an established author helps launch the career of an emerging playwright.[5] Praising Urch, Brenton has compared the young playwright to [Tennessee Williams](/source/Tennessee_Williams).[7][8]

#### *Land of Our Fathers*

Urch’s first full-length play *Land of Our Fathers*, set in a Welsh coalmine on the eve of the [1979 general election](/source/1979_United_Kingdom_general_election), received wide critical acclaim when it opened at [Theatre503](/source/Theatre503) in 2013.[9] The play then transferred to [Trafalgar Theatre](/source/Duke_of_York's_Theatre) in the West End in 2014,[10] followed by a Wales tour in 2015, and an England tour in 2016.[11]

#### *The Rolling Stone*

Urch's next major play, *The Rolling Stone*, deals with the topic of violent [homophobia in Uganda](/source/LGBT_rights_in_Uganda).[12] It received its premiere at the [Royal Exchange Theatre](/source/Royal_Exchange,_Manchester) in [Manchester](/source/Manchester) in 2015[13], followed by performances at the [West Yorkshire Playhouse](/source/Leeds_Playhouse) in [Leeds](/source/Leeds) (2015)[14] and the [Orange Tree Theatre](/source/Orange_Tree_Theatre) in London (2016).[15] The play won a Judges' award at the [Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting](/source/Bruntwood_Prize_for_Playwriting) in 2013,[16] the [Manchester Theatre Award](/source/Manchester_Theatre_Awards) for Best New Play in 2016,[17] and Best New Play at the [Off West End Awards](/source/The_Offies) ( The Offies) 2017.[18]

Internationally, *The Rolling Stone* was staged in [Sydney](/source/Sydney) at the [Seymour Centre](/source/Seymour_Centre) in 2018[19] and in [New York](/source/New_York_City) at the [off-broadway](/source/Off-broadway) [Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater](/source/Mitzi_E._Newhouse_Theater) in 2019.[12]

### Screenwriting and directing

In 2016, Urch was announced as the writer of an untitled [biopic](/source/Biopic) about [Alexander McQueen](/source/Alexander_McQueen), with [Andrew Haigh](/source/Andrew_Haigh) also attached to the project as director.[20] To date, the film has yet to be released.

In 2023, Chris Urch was awarded a grant from the [British Film Institute](/source/British_Film_Institute)'s Short Film Fund for a short film entitled *Blackout*, which he would also direct in addition to writing.[21] The film, which explores the theme of [domestic violence](/source/Domestic_violence), starred [Mawaan Rizwan](/source/Mawaan_Rizwan) and was released in 2024. *Blackout* won the 2025 [Iris Prize](/source/Iris_Prize) in the Best British Short Film category, winning Urch £40,000 to create a new [LGBTQ](/source/LGBTQ_people)-themed film.[22]

## Personal life

Urch is openly [gay](/source/Gay).[1]

## Filmography

### Films

Year Title Director Writer Notes Refs 2024 Blackout Short film [23] Unreleased [20]

### Stage

Year premiered Title Notable productions Notes 2013 Vote of No Confidence 2013 - Theatre503 (Part of LabFest)[24] Championed by Howard Brenton as part of The Playwright Presents scheme.[7] 2013 Land of Our Fathers 2013 - Theatre503[9] 2014 - Trafalgar Theatre[10] 2015 - Wales tour[11] 2016 - England tour[11] Co-produced by Wales Millennium Centre.[11] 2015 The Rolling Stone 2015 - Royal Exchange, Manchester (premier),[13] West Yorkshire Playhouse[14] 2016 - Orange Tree Theatre, London[15] 2018 - Seymour Centre, Sydney[19] 2019 - Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York[12]

## Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Notes 2013 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting The Rolling Stone Prize value: £8,000 [16] 2016 Manchester Theatre Awards Best New Play The Rolling Stone [17] 2017 The Offies Best New Play The Rolling Stone [18] Best Production The Rolling Stone production at Orange Tree Theatre (2016)

## References

1. Raymond, Gerard (2019-07-15). ["Playwright Chris Urch Interview for The Rolling Stone at Lincoln Center Theater Off-Broadway NYC | TDF Stages | TDF - Theatre Development Fund"](https://www.tdf.org/on-stage/tdf-stages/what-do-you-do-when-your-love-is-illegal/). *www.tdf.org*. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. Theater, Lincoln Center. ["Chris Urch On Why He Wrote THE ROLLING STONE | Lincoln Center Theater"](https://www.lct.org/explore/blog/chris-urch-why-he-wrote-rolling-stone/). *Lincoln Center Theater*. [Archived](http://web.archive.org/web/20250208125938/https://www.lct.org/explore/blog/chris-urch-why-he-wrote-rolling-stone/) 2025-02-08 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["New short film release celebrating Midsomer Norton's unsung heroes -"](https://yourmidsomernorton.co.uk/a-new-film-celebrating-midsomer-nortons-unsung-heroes/). *yourmidsomernorton.co.uk*. 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["INTERVIEW: Chris Urch, Playwright - Newsplate"](https://www.britishtheatre.com/posts/interview-chris-urch-playwright). *www.britishtheatre.com*. 2013-09-18. [Archived](http://web.archive.org/web/20250318110034/https://www.britishtheatre.com/posts/interview-chris-urch-playwright) 2025-03-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. ["Battersea Theatre Announces full cast for Land of Our Fathers"](https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/leisure/theatre/10608715.battersea-theatre-announces-full-cast-for-land-of-our-fathers/). *Your Local Guardian*. 2013-08-13. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. ["Vote of No Confidence"](https://withoutapaddletheatre.co.uk/vote-of-no-confidence/). *Without A Paddle Theatre*. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. Peterson, Tyler (2013-07-05). ["Chris Urch's LAND OF OUR FATHERS to Debut at Theatre503, 17 Sept. - 12 Oct."](https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Chris-Urchs-LAND-OF-OUR-FATHERS-to-Debut-at-Theatre503-17-Sept-12-Oct-20130705). *[BroadwayWorld](/source/BroadwayWorld)*. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. ["10 Questions with Howard Brenton"](https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/news/2016/march/10-questions-with-howard-brenton/). *Hampstead Theatre*. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. ["Land of Our Fathers – review"](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/23/land-of-our-fathers-review). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. 2013-09-23. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220703220119/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/sep/23/land-of-our-fathers-review) 2022-07-03 at the Wayback Machine.

1. Gardner, Lyn (2014-09-09). ["Land of Our Fathers review – underground drama digs deep into the human spirit"](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/sep/09/land-of-our-fathers-review-wales-mining-play). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["Land of Our Fathers"](http://www.wmc.org.uk/newsandmedia/newsarchive/287745/). *[Wales Millennium Centre](/source/Wales_Millennium_Centre)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160415051638/http://www.wmc.org.uk/newsandmedia/newsarchive/287745/) 2016-04-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. Ben Brantley (2019-07-15). ["Review: Piety Laced With Poison in the Uganda of ‘The Rolling Stone’"](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/theater/the-rolling-stone-review.html). The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-07-22.

1. Hickling, Alfred (2015-04-29). ["The Rolling Stone review – a crusading attack on Uganda’s anti-gay law"](https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/apr/29/the-rolling-stone-royal-exchange-manchester-review). *The Guardian*. [ISSN 0261-3077](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["Review: Anna Karenina, Courtyard Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds; The Rolling Stone, also West Yorkshire Playhouse"](https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/leisure/theatre/12968721.review-anna-karenina-courtyard-theatre-west-yorkshire-playhouse-leeds-the-rolling-stone-also-west-yorkshire-playhouse/). *York Press*. 2015-05-23. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. Trueman, Matt (2016-01-19). ["London Theater Review: ‘The Rolling Stone’"](https://variety.com/2016/legit/reviews/the-rolling-stone-review-play-1201682747/). *Variety*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["2013"](https://www.writeaplay.co.uk/histories/2013-2/). *[Bruntwood Prize](/source/Bruntwood_Prize_for_Playwriting)*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. Walters, Sarah (2016-03-05). ["Bolton Octagon Theatre the big winner's at 2016 Manchester Theatre Awards"](http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/bolton-octagon-theatre-big-winners-10994977). *Manchester Evening News*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["Winners of the Offies announced"](https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/offies-winners-announced-patrick-stewart_42967.html/). *[WhatsOnStage](/source/WhatsOnStage.com)*. 2017-02-26. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. Malone, Ursula (2018-06-28). ["Sydney play about gay hate examines a global problem"](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-29/all-black-cast-stars-in-play-about-gay-hate/9921586). *ABC News*. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

1. Alexander, Ella (2016-01-22). ["Alexander McQueen the film is coming"](https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/alexander-mcqueen-film-and-biopic-news-and-updates). *[Glamour UK](/source/Glamour_UK)*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["Short Film Fund: Projects selected in 2023"](https://www.bfi.org.uk/get-funding-support/bfi-network/short-film-fund-projects-selected-2023). *[BFI](/source/British_Film_Institute)*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. Sugg, Aaron (2025-10-20). ["Chris Urch’s Blackout starring Mawaan Rizwan is crowned Best British Short at Iris Prize"](https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/blackout-iris-prize-mawaan-rizwan-500471/). *[Attitude](/source/Attitude_(magazine))*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["British Council UK Films Database: Blackout"](https://filmsandfestivals.britishcouncil.org/projects/blackout3). *[British Council](/source/British_Council)*. Retrieved 2026-02-27.

1. ["VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE » Without a Paddle Theatre"](https://withoutapaddletheatre.co.uk/vote-of-no-confidence/). *withoutapaddletheatre.co.uk*. [Archived](http://web.archive.org/web/20240622002400/https://withoutapaddletheatre.co.uk/vote-of-no-confidence/) 2024-06-22 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-02-28.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chris Urch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Urch) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Urch?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.