ADAPT: Playwright’s Screenwriting Programme

ADAPT 2025 Writers

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  Lindsay Rodden

  “The ADAPT programme couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve always wanted to write for screen, and it’s got me off the blocks and given me the confidence and skills to actually do it. For me as a writer, it’s all about finding subversive stories that aren’t often heard but should be, and celebrating them. To transfer these ambitions to the screen is such an exciting undertaking, and it feels possible with the backing of New Writing North.”

  Lindsay Rodden was born in Scotland and grew up on Merseyside and in County Donegal, Ireland where her family is from. She lives in North Shields.

  Lindsay’s stage plays include HERE BE DRAGONS (Unfolding Theatre, currently on tour); musical JENNIE LEE, about the trailblazing eponymous MP, which toured nationally last year to critical acclaim; THE ISLAND OF THE SUN (an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey for the National Theatre and Sunderland Culture); RED SKY AT NIGHT (a play with songs for Mikron Theatre, national tour); HERE, about sanctuary-seeking and storytelling for Northern Stage and Curious Monkey (finalist for Performance of the Year and Writer of the Year at the NE Culture Awards); and her adaptation of Brian Patten’s THE STORY GIANT for the Liverpool Everyman.

  Her most recent play THE MARIANS is in development, having received staged readings at Northern Stage and The Royal Court, and was longlisted for The Bruntwood Prize.

  Lindsay was awarded Writer-in-Residence at Live Theatre in Newcastle, the Shelagh Stephenson residency, and was a member of The Royal Court’s prestigious National Writers’ Group. She also works as a dramaturg across the country.
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  Hannah Walker

  “I have no experience writing for TV, so this opportunity is invaluable! I’ve already learnt so much, and I’m really excited to see what I can create. Which, without the support from ADAPT, wouldn’t exist!”

  Hannah Walker is an award-winning theatre maker and comedy performer who creates autobiographical shows that open up honest conversations about overlooked or stigmatised aspects of everyday life. Her work blends humour and social insight, often exploring themes like addiction, identity, and relationships.

  Her latest show Gamble (★★★★★ A Youngish Perspective) is about her experience being in a relationship with someone with a gambling addiction, developed with people in recovery, health professionals, and affected others. Previous work includes An Evening with Savvy B (★★★★ London Theatre), which looks at her relationship with alcohol and was shaped by workshops & pop-up performances in pubs and social clubs in the North East.

  Hannah is an Associate Artist with The Six Twenty and is currently learning British Sign Language. In the real world she enjoys playing with her offspring.