Lulla
This funny, scary, wild queer dream play reached the top 100 longlist from 1060 entries for the 2017 Verity Bargate Award.
Ben received 2026 Arts Council England funding for a Flaming Theatre production of Lulla at the Omnibus Theatre in Clapham from 30 June-10 July, directed by Martha J. Baldwin. Tickets can be booked here.
Ben was awarded a 2025 Peggy Ramsay Foundation grant to develop the play for production.
“earthly dust from off thee shaken shut your eyes look through the glass count your fingers count your toes breathe through it, you’ll be alright come on jump!” Marin’s 16, queer and in love. When her parents try to control her, she escapes into a dream world to discover herself.
Lulla is a poetic and transgressive adventure for ages 16+. It powerfully explores the pressure to conform and the shame forced upon many young LGBTQ+ people, through Marin’s battle to embrace her emerging identity.
Martha J. Baldwin directs this boldly physical production, laced with folk horror and dark fantasy. It takes a surreal journey into Marin’s subconscious where she confronts her deepest desires and nightmares, guided by the mysterious gender-shifting Lady Nightshade and haunted by her childhood lullabies.
lulla: a fragment word, echoing lullaby, sleep and childhood.
Martha J. Baldwin ran a R&D workshop day in September 2023 exploring Lulla as part of Barons Court Theatre’s Queering the Canon, a week of events centred on non-binary theatre makers. The play was performed by Everleigh Brenner, Sioned Jones, Emily Millwood and Jamie Zubairi.
An extract was previoiusly workshopped in April 2018 at Flux Theatre’s Actor Writer Gym in the Katzspace Studio Theatre (at Katzenjammers, London Bridge), directed by Miriam Higgins and performed by Lauren Moakes and Bess Roche.
Key Art by Alex Jackson.