Join acclaimed Wexford author, playwright and artist Billy Roche for this writing workshop on The Tools Of The Trade. This workshop will explore inspiration, writing, rewriting, editing and ... fun!

Billy Roche's first novel, Tumbling Down, was first published by Wolfhound Press in 1986. His first stage play, A Handful Of Stars (winner of the John Whiting Award), was staged at The Bush Theatre, London in 1988. This was followed by Poor Beast In The Rain (winner of The George Devine Award and The Charrington Fringe Award) in 1990. Belfry (winner of The Time Out Award) completed this powerful trilogy for the Bush Theatre. All three plays, directed by Robin LeFevre, became known as the Wexford Trilogy and were performed in their entirety at The Bush, the Peacock and the Theatre Royal, Wexford. Later the Wexford Trilogy was filmed for the B.B.C.  directed by the late and great Stuart Burge. His fourth play Amphibians was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and performed at the Barbican. This was followed by The Cavalcaders at The Peacock and Royal Court, London. He wrote the screenplay for Trojan Eddie, which was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and starred Stephen Rea and Richard Harris. Trojan Eddie won the Best Film Award at The San Sebastian Film Festival in 1996. His sixth play On Such As We was performed at the Peacock in 2001, directed by Wilson Milam and starring Brendan Gleeson.  Tales From Rainwater Pond, his collection of short stories was published by Pillar Press in 2006.   Lay Me Down Softly, his 7^th play, was originally performed at the Peacock Theatre in 2008, directed by Wilson Milam. His 8^th play OF MORNINGTON was performed by SCALDER THEATRE in 2016 at The Wexford Opera House and The Mill Theatre, Dundrum.  A LOVE LIKE THAT was produced by Decadent Theatre   at The National Opera House and The Civic Theatre, Dublin. Billy’s plays are published by Nick Hern Books.

Billy has been Writer-In-Residence at the Bush and Writer –In-Association at Druid and the Abbey Theatre.  The Eclipse, a film that was co-written with Conor McPherson won an IFTA Award for Best Screenplay and Best Film, directed by Conor McPherson. The film is inspired by Billy’s short story Table Manners (from the Tales From Rainwater Pond collection). His short novella The Diary Of Maynard Perdu was performed on stage by Peter McCamley at the Wexford Arts Centre, the Mill Theatre, Dundrum and Smock Alley, Dublin. He wrote the screenplay CLEAN BREAK for RTE television.

If you require any assistance attending this event, please call Gorey Library on 053 9483820 or email goreylibrary@wexfordcoco.ie