Zoe Cooper
Zoe Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) Stockport, England |
| Occupation | Playwright |
| Known for | Jess and Joe Forever, Out of Water |
| Parent(s) | Robert Cooper; Jenny Howe |
Zoe Cooper (born 1984) is a British playwright whose work has been produced by major UK theatre companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Northern Stage and Leeds Playhouse.[1] In 2024, she was appointed Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2]
Early life and education
Cooper was born in 1984 and her birth was registered in Stockport, England.[3] She is the daughter of television producer Robert Cooper and the actress Jenny Howe, known for her role as Mrs Keele in Grange Hill.[4]
She grew up in Twickenham, London, and has described her upbringing as shaping her interest in writing about ordinary lives and relationships.[4] She studied English literature at the University of Cambridge before completing an MPhil in playwriting at the University of Birmingham and a PhD in creative writing at Newcastle University.[5][6]
Career
Cooper's early work as a playwright included plays such as Nativities and Petrification, which explored contemporary relationships and everyday experiences.[4] Her breakthrough came with Jess and Joe Forever, a play examining friendship and intimacy, which received the Off West End Award for Most Promising Playwright and brought her wider recognition.[1][4]
She subsequently developed Out of Water, which was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, further establishing her reputation as a playwright of contemporary drama.[1] Her work has since been staged by major theatre organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre, Northern Stage and Leeds Playhouse.[1]
Alongside her writing, Cooper has worked in dramaturgy and literary management and has taught playwriting at Newcastle University.[5] Her work often focuses on personal relationships, identity and the complexities of modern life, drawing on her own experiences and observations.[4]
In 2024, she was appointed Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company, a role supporting the development of new writing for the stage.[2] In the same period, she adapted A Song for Ella Grey for the stage.[1]
Personal life
Cooper is based in Newcastle upon Tyne.[1] She has described herself as a queer woman.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Interview: Zoe Cooper on A Song For Ella Grey". Theatre Weekly. 8 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Meet our two new Writers-in-Residence". Royal Shakespeare Company. 2024.
- ^ "England & Wales Birth Index: Zoe Cooper". FreeBMD.
- ^ a b c d e Bano, Tim (7 October 2016). "Playwright Zoe Cooper: 'I want to write about the people I know'". The Guardian.
- ^ a b "Zoe Cooper profile". Newcastle University.
- ^ "Zoe Cooper: 'Male, white colleagues are given open commissions...'". The Stage. 26 February 2024.