Steve Trafford

Writer and translator

Theatre work:

Steve Trafford was a founder member of Red Ladder Theatre, writing and cowriting 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 it's radio adaptation for BBC Radio 4. Marie ran twice in the West End at the Fortune Theatre, where Elizabeth was nominated for an Olivier Award as ‘Best Actress in a Musical’. He wrote the music theatre piece, Hymn to Love – Homage to Piaf, and adapted it for BBC Radio 3. His most recent play, A Cloud in Trousers, about the Futurist poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, was co-produced by Ensemble and York Theatre Royal. Steve has translated Bertolt Brecht's The Mother, re-setting the songs to Hanns Eisler's original score. Also a new translation of Ay Carmela! by José Sanchis Sinisterra, which was co-produced by Ensemble and York Theatre Royal.

Management and Finance:

As a founder member of Red Ladder, Steve was instrumental in drafting the first ‘Fringe and Small Scale Touring Theatre Agreement’ between the Arts Council and Equity. Also as a founder of Red Ladder, he was collectively responsible for the application for, and management of, their Arts Council funding, for over ten years. These were substantial revenue grants, maintaining a company of twelve employees, engaged in year-round, national, small scale touring. With Elizabeth Mansfield (and co-production partners such as York Theatre Royal) he has produced a number of Arts Council funded national tours, as well as a run of his play Marie in the West End. As a freelance artist for twenty years, Steve has managed personal taxation and VAT registered accounts. Steve is presently Consultant to the setting up of the Audio Visual Interactive Learning Project, for the voluntary sector, at the Cass Business School, City University, London.

Teaching:

Steve has taught screen and theatre writing at the London Metropolitan University, Goldsmith’s College, and Leeds Metropolitan University. He was Consultant to the setting up of the School of Film and Television at Leeds Metropolitan, along with Richard Woolley. He has also been Fellow in Creative Writing, at the University of Reading, working with undergraduates on screen writing.

Screen and television work:

Steve worked with Amber Films in Newcastle, scripting the Channel 4 feature film T.Dan.Smith. He also wrote the six part drama series Bombay Blue for Channel Four and has written extensively for many popular TV series including: The Knock, Heartbeat, Medics, Wycliffe, Rockface, The Bill, and the BBC series Between The Lines, for which he won a Writer's Guild Award. He has also written several episodes of Midsomer Murders for Bentley Productions.

Steve Trafford is represented by Bethan Evans at THE AGENCY, London, UK.

Hymn to Love
– Homage to Piaf
Hymn to Love - Homage to Piaf

In a Manhattan hotel room in New York, Edith Piaf rehearses for her last US concert. But for Piaf the hotel holds memories. More info...

Clara's Gift

Frauenliebe und Leben

Clara's Gift

Glorious music, ridiculous words! Among contemporary listeners this is the near universal response to Schumann’s famous song cycle. More info...

The Restoration of Nell Gwyn

A new comedy by Steve Trafford
With songs by Henry Purcell

The Restoration of Nell Gwyn

Full of humour and bawdy wit, this new comedy transports us into the wanton world of the English Restoration. King Charles II lies ill, Nell Gwyn, his royal whore, once the brightest star of the Restoration theatre, rages against her fate. More info...

The Uninvited

Songs and Stories of Exile

The Uninvited

The Uninvited is a performance tour de force telling the extraordinary stories of refugees and exiles, from all over the world, past and present. More info...

Marie

The Story of Marie Lloyd

Marie

The poet T.S. Eliot described Marie Lloyd as: “The greatest music hall artist of all time”. Marie Lloyd lives again in this popular and celebrated show, which features all her famous songs. More info...