My Experience
My name is Orion. I’m a private academic and creative writing tutor with over six years of teaching experience. All ages. All abilities.
Where I am now: I’m a playwright graduate of The Royal Court Theatre’s Writers Programme and recipient of the Robert Rockwell Prize for Dramatic Writing. I am very excited to have just been awarded a commission from Sky Arts to write a 90-minute play. I am currently doing my Master’s in writing at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
How I got here: I attended the wonderfully creative, Bedales School, where my mentors nurtured and encouraged my writing. I was able to excel in both essay and many forms of creative writing (from poetry to short fiction). When I was sixteen, I saw an extraordinary production of ‘Duet For One’, starring Juliet Stevenson. I decided that nothing could be more exciting than writing for a live medium. Plays.
For university, I moved from England to America and pursued a liberal arts education. I decided that the best way for me to develop as a playwright would be to read and write across disciplines. I found this eclectic culture at Bard College, where I took classes that ranged from exploring debates surrounding education as presented in the nineteenth-century English novel, to a one-on-one tutorial I designed around the texts of D.W. Winnicott and Virginia Woolf. I worked closely with inspiring professors, with whom I continue to have strong rapports. In 2015, I graduated with a first in Written Arts, a unique course dedicated to creative writing. My final project was a play I wrote under the supervision of poet and critic Joan Retallack.
Upon graduation, I moved to New York City, where I worked as literary associate to New York Theatre Workshop. I have had the opportunity to be a part of the developmental process of critically acclaimed productions including, ‘Red Speedo’ by Lucas Hnath, ‘Fondly, Collette Richland’ by Sibyl Kempson, ‘Hadestown’ by Anais Mitchell, and ‘Lazarus’ by David Bowie.
Tutoring: I have had over six years of tutoring experience. All ages. All abilities. In both academic and creative writing.
Subjects I teach
Creative Writing to A-level
English to A-level
Theatre Studies to A-level
My Qualifications
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, currently enrolled on the MA/MFA writing course
Bard College, New York (1st in Creative Writing)
Bedales School, English Literature, Theatre Studies, Philosophy of Religion and Ethics A-Levels
Royal Court Theatre’s Writers Programme
Recipient of The Robert Rockwell Prize for dramatic writing
My Passion And How I Inspire
I am passionate about helping my students discover their own unique writing voice. With the right approach, I strongly believe that all forms of writing (even essay writing!) can be creative and fun. The focus of private tuition enables me to find out what sparks the student’s imagination and to build from there. Unfortunately, examination requirements can be dry and cause students to turn away from writing and reading. I see it as my job to help students achieve their full potential, gaining top marks, without this feeling of box ticking.
My video Introduction
Fun fact
I love Star Trek. Best. Show. Ever.
