Joe White (writer)

Joe White
Alma materUniversity of Birmingham
Years active2014–present
Websitejoewhitewriter.com

Joe White is an English playwright, librettist and audio dramatist. His plays include Mayfly (2018) and Blackout Songs (2022). He wrote the book for the musical The Little Big Things (2023). His theatre work has received a number of accolades, including Laurence Olivier Award nominations.[1]

White has also worked in audio drama, including The Nox (2022) and an adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 (2024), which was nominated for an ARIA Award and won an Audie Award respectively.

Early life

White graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Drama and Theatre Arts in 2010 and a Master of Arts (MA) in Playwriting Studies, both from the University of Birmingham.[2]

Career

In partnership with Birmingham Repertory Theatre,[3] White was selected for the 2014 BBC Writersroom 10. He was next the 2015 Pentabus Writer in Residence.[4] In 2016, he was selected for the Old Vic 12.[5]

White's debut play Mayfly premiered at the Orange Tree Theatre in 2018.[6] Lyn Gardner of The Guardian described the play as a "tender debut", while Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph characterised the play as a "warm, wise, sad debut".[7][8] For Mayfly White received the 2019 Offie for Most Promising New Playwright and a nomination for Best Writer at The Stage Debut Awards.[9][10]

White's play Blackout Songs premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in 2022.[11][12][13] The Guardian's Arifa Akbar described the play as a "drunk and disorderly exploration of love and addiction", highlighting White's focus on relationships and substance dependency.[14] The production was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.[15] In 2026, Blackout Songs had its Off Broadway premiere in New York at the MCC Theater.[16][17]

White wrote the book for the musical The Little Big Things,[18] which premiered in the West End in 2023.[19][20] The production was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[21]

In audio drama, White wrote The Nox (2022), which was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Drama.[22] In 2024, White wrote a seven-part dramatisation of George Orwell's 1984 for Audible starring Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo and Andrew Scott.[23] 1984 won the Audie Award for Audio Drama.[24]

Select bibliography

Plays

  • Mayfly (2018)
  • Ursa Major (2021)
  • Blackout Songs (2022)

Musicals

Audio

  • Doggerlans (2019)
  • The Nox (2022)
  • 1984 (2024)

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Wolf, Matt (24 November 2022). "London Theaters Reel From Funding Cuts". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ "Drama alumni nominated for prestigious Olivier and New Diorama Untapped theatre awards!". University of Birmingham. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "Writersroom 10 winners announced". BBC Media Centre. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  4. ↑ White, Joe (23 October 2015). "How BBC Writersroom 10 led to my first piece for Radio". BBC Writers. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Dickson-Purdy, Jen (5 December 2016). "Old Vic class of 2016-2017". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Monaco, Loretta (24 April 2018). "Review of Joe White's Mayfly at the Orange Tree Theatre". London Theatre. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  7. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (24 April 2018). "Mayfly review – tender debut captures grief with warmth and humour". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  8. ↑ Cavendish, Dominic (25 April 2018). "Mayfly review, Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond: a warm, wise, sad debut". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  9. 1 2 Masso, Giverny (23 September 2018). "The Stage Debut Awards 2018: the winners in full". The Stage. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  10. 1 2 Masso, Giverny (4 February 2019). "Off West End Theatre Awards 2019: the winners in full". The Stage. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Groves, John (15 November 2022). "Joe White's Blackout Songs at Hampstead Theatre". Last Minute Theatre Tickets. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Cohen, Alexander (11 April 2023). "Interview: 'Addiction is a Leveller' – Playwright Joe White on Gen-Z Sobriety, British Musicals and the Return of his Play Blackout Songs". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (22 March 2023). "Joe White: "For a playwright, total transparency is always better, even if it is a no from a theatre"". Stagedoor. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  14. ↑ Akbar, Arifa (11 November 2022). "Blackout Songs review – drunk and disorderly exploration of love and addiction". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  15. 1 2 Masso, Giverny (28 February 2023). "Olivier Awards 2023: the nominations in full". The Stage. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Hall, Margaret (9 December 2025). "Joe White Blackout Songs To Receive U.S. Premiere Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Collins-Hughes, Laura (1 February 2026). "New Off-Broadway Shows to Watch". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  18. ↑ Nicolson, Kerrie (12 September 2023). "Interview: 'We Want This Show to Be a Beacon for Change': Tom Ling, Nick Butcher & Joe White Talk Representation, Collaboration and Joy in The Little Big Things". Broadway World. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "The Little Big Things – A New Musical". National Theatre. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  20. ↑ Buchan, Kit (17 September 2023). "The Little Big Things review – remarkable tale of resilience". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Olivier awards 2024: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  22. 1 2 Steve (30 March 2023). "Nominees and new location announced for ARIAS 2023". Radio Today. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  23. ↑ Wood, Alex (9 January 2024). "Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott and Tom Hardy to star in 1984 audio drama". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  24. 1 2 "2025 Audie Awards Winners". Audio Publishers Association. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
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