News

23rd April 2026: 

Cumbrian Theatre Company and writer win one of six national grants as part of the inaugural Jerwood Royal Court Commissioning Scheme:

Maryport based writer and actor Christine Entwisle, along with Kirkby Stephen’s

Shared Experience have been awarded one of only 6 grants designed to invest in a

pipeline of ambitious and risk-taking new theatre.

Launched this year for the London’s Royal Court’s 70th anniversary, for its inaugural

round this scheme received 136 applications, each in partnership between a

playwright and producer with 12 shortlisted for interview by a panel including

representatives from Jerwood Foundation and the Royal Court's artistic leadership.

Rooted in her native West Cumbria, Christine’s stories often give voice to older

women who are navigating the chaos of their lives — finding comedy in despair and

solace in the fells.

Shared Experience’s recent productions include Revolver by Emily Woof which

played at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival, and London’s Soho Theatre, Blizzard which

played at 59E59 Theatre in New York, Sleeping Beauty which toured to venues

across Cumbria and As You Like It at Theatre by the Lake.

Conrad Lynch, Director of Shared Experience commented: 

‘Christine and I are thrilled to be making work together again for audiences in

Cumbria and beyond. We are so very grateful to the Royal Court and Jerwood

Foundation for giving us this opportunity – what a great way for Shared Experience

to start it’s 50 the anniversary year!’

Shared Experience produces work on tour around the world that is characterised by

thrillingly distinctive performance styles with a focus on female led work which

celebrates both physical and text-based theatre. Since 1976, we have continually

worked to excite and inspire people with the unique delights of live performance and

unpredictability of the stage be that in a village hall or in the West End.

Notable productions include Mill on the Floss, Anna Karenina and After Mrs

Rochester.

Christine Entwisle is a writer, performer and director whose work spans theatre,

film and radio. Beginning in experimental and visual theatre, she started writing to

create her own material, developing a voice that blends dark humour, lyricism and

emotional truth.

A multi‐award‐winning radio writer, Christine won the BBC Writers Award and Funny

Women Award for Do You Wish to Continue, and later the BBC Audio Drama Award

for Secret Kebabs. She has been shortlisted for both the Writers’ Guild Awards and

this year’s BBC Audio Awards, with recent credits including All the Names You Ever

Called Me, Talking to Chickens and Christmas Past for BBC Radio 4.

She has also written and directed several award‐winning short films screened at

festivals in the UK and abroad. Christine returned to theatre last year with her

one‐woman show Breakages, which tours this autumn.

More Shared Experience News Coming Soon