Karen Hope

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Writer/Director

AGENT

Christina Pickworth

christina@imaginetalent.co.uk

+44(0)7876 685515

Born ‘n’ bred Geordie, now London-based, with strong Northern roots. Passionate about edgy, character-driven dramas, with social and racial diversity at their core, foregrounding flawed and complex female characters. Award-winning theatre & radio playwright/director (GLA/LBC radio playwrights award; UK entry for Prix Italia Awards; Runner-up, Verity Bargate Award; Nominee, Sunday Times Best New Play Award; publication by Methuen Books; productions throughout the UK and off-Broadway). Short film success as writer/director includes over 30 international short film festival screenings and six ’Best Film’/ ‘Best Director’ awards.

As a feature screenwriter, Karen’s coming-of-age girl gang drama, ‘Ladykilaz’, was selected as a Nicholl Fellowship Top 50 script. An alumna of Edinburgh International Film Festival Talent Lab, Filmonomics, Kinoteka, and Triangle UK screen directing talent schemes, as well as a member of Directors UK, Karen is currently transitioning into TV drama directing.

IN DEVELOPMENT

MEMORY GIRL
(writer/director)
Feature. Psychological thriller, adapted from Karen’s critically acclaimed stage play, FOREIGN LANDS.

LADYKILAZ
(writer/director)
Feature. Girl gang coming-of-age drama. Selected as a 2013 Nicholl Fellowship Top 50 script.

ATOMIC
(writer)
Feature. Thriller about personal and political betrayal set against the backdrop of nuclear tests in 1950’s Mormon Nevada.

BEFEHL 101 (ORDER 101)
(writer/director)
Short. Psychological thriller. Two young Berlin Wall border guards engage in a psychological game of chess with only two outcomes: escape to the West – or being shot dead in the attempt.

TELEVISION

CORONATION STREET

(multicam director trainee)

ITV Studios. Selected as one of 12 emerging UK drama directors for ITV Studios’ multicam director training scheme on the set of CORONATION STREET.

CASUALTY

(shadow director)

Continuing drama series. BBC Wales. Shadow director on two episode block of CASUALTY through Directors UK ‘Inspire’ career development programme, mentored by writer/director Paul Unwin.

SHORT FILM

HELL TO PAY
(writer/director)
13 minutes. Comedy drama. A reality TV celebrity pays the price of fame on a taxi journey to an unexpected destination.

BUON GIORNO SAYONARA
(writer/director)
8 minutes. Italian-Japanese romantic comedy.
*WINNER Best Comedy award, Hyart Film Festival, USA.
*JOINT WINNER Best Comedy award, Iron Mule Comedy Screening Series, USA.
*WINNER Best International Film, Best Director, Best In Festival, Thurrock International Film Festival, UK.
*WINNER Best UK Film, Sarnia Shorts.

THEATRE

THE THRILL OF LOVE

(director)

‘Film noir’ style drama by Amanda Whittington about Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in England. Tower Theatre, London.

FOREIGN LANDS

(writer)

Psychological thriller. Finborough Theatre, London.

*Nominated for Sunday Times Best New Play Award.

*Published by Methuen.

Also produced at The Wolsey Studio, Ipswich; The Landor Theatre, London; Northern Stage Company, Newcastle upon Tyne; Theatre Royal, Watford; Medicine Show Theatre; New York.

FOREIGN LANDS

(writer/director)

Landor Theatre, London.

RIPPED

(writer)

Body-building comedy-drama. Soho Poly Theatre Company, Cockpit Theatre, London.

*RUNNER UP Verity Bargate Award

ROCKING THE CRADLE

(writer)

Geordie family life drama. Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne.

RADIO

MISSING THE MELODY
(writer)
Dramatic exploration of deafness. BBC Radio 4.

LOTUS BLOSSOM
(writer)
Drama about wartime evacuees and Chinese foot-binding. Independent Radio Drama Productions for LBC Radio.
*WINNER GLA/LBC radio playwrights award.
UK drama entry for the Prix Italia Awards.