dear joanna, my favourite animal is scorpions

Dave really likes this one girl and also his skateboard. Joanna really wants her friend’s neighbour to leave her alone. dear joanna, [...] explores obsession, innocence and growing up.

Performance at the Royal Exchange Theatre

During “An Evening of New Work with Carmen Nasr & Simon Stephens”, a 10 minute excerpt from dear joanna, […] was performed in front of a live audience for the first time. This staged reading was part of a collaboration between students from Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University. The event took place over 2 days, the 5th to 6th of June 2025.

Writer: Julia Rudd
Producer: Martha Ford Tomlinson
Director: Elizabeth Laurence
Dave: Joel Mutamiri
Joanna: Madeline Davidson-Emmons