WRITER AND TRANSLATOR

THEATRE WORK

Stephan Trafford was a founder member of Red Ladder Theatre, writing and co writing their work over a number of years. Plays included: 'Nerves of Steel' (dir: Chris Rawlence), 'Taking Our Time' (dir: Michael Attenborough), 'Ladders to the Moon' (dir: Annie Castledine).

He wrote 'Marie – The Story of Marie Lloyd' for Elizabeth Mansfield, and also it's radio adaptation for BBC Radio 4. ‘Marie’ ran twice in the West End at the Fortune Theatre, and has toured all over the U.K. and to the U.S.A., and to Norway. He wrote the music theatre piece, 'Hymn to Love Homage to Piaf’, also for Elizabeth Mansfield, which included new translations of 13 of Piaf’s songs. These have now been recorded to CD. He adapted ‘Hymn to Love’ for Catherine Bailey Productions, and it was twice broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In 2002, he translated Bertolt Brecht's 'The Mother', re-setting the songs to Hanns Eisler's original score.
This production, directed by Annie Castledine, toured the U.K., funded by ACE. In 2002 he founded a new touring theatre company, ‘Ensemble’, with Elizabeth Mansfield. Their first production was ‘Portraits in Song’, which they co-devised, and the show toured the U.K., to the U.S.A. and was at the Greenwich Theatre and the Drill Hall, in London. His latest play, 'A Cloud in Trousers', about the Futurist poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, was co-produced by Ensemble and York Theatre Royal, where it was premiered in September 2004. The play subsequently toured nationally in the U.K., funded by ACE. Steve is currently working on a new translation of ‘Ay Carmela!’ by Jose Sanchis Sinisterra, which will also be a co-produced between Ensemble and York Theatre Royal, scheduled for autumn 2006.