Nicole Darvill-Batten MA Drama Writing Student

Nicole Darvill-Batten

MA Drama Writing Student


Biography

Nicole is a playwright, screenwriter and poet from the South West. Often drawing from life experience, her work explores themes such as queerness, religion and intimacy.  She writes bold, iridescent characters and snappy dialogue, happiest when flitting between a poetic style and gritty kitchen-sink naturalism. Non Ducor is her first full-length play.

Before BOVTS, Nicole worked in TV, finding inspiration in figures such as Lucy Prebble, Michaela Cole and Abi Morgan. She has big ideas for the screen and has written and produced two short films during her MA.  After the course, she hopes to re-enter the industry and start a career in TV drama and comedy writing.

While studying BA English Literature at University of Greenwich, Nicole’s short play You’ll Do was produced at the Hen and Chickens Theatre for an Emerging Talent Showcase and her short play Woodchuck Would Chuck was produced at the Greenwich Theatre.  Her poetry and short stories were published in Banbury Magazine and Greenwich Creative Writing and performed at The Poetry Café in London.

Nicole has worked at the National Theatre, The Space Theatre, Underbelly Edinburgh and as a theatre publicist for shows such as Hamilton, Mary Poppins and Dear Evan Hansen. Her writing portfolio from BOVTS includes a radio play about dying, a short film about eating a dance studio and a sitcom about living in a Christian community house.  She is currently developing a rural, site-specific family theatre show, an AI improv show and a drag alien musical.

Nicole is currently setting up a theatre company with fellow BOVTS graduates Natalie Simone (MA Drama Directing) and Alice Sales (MA Performance Design).

Students drinking coffee in Clifton Village
The training provided by the MFA programme is superb. The depth with which we explore, paired with unyielding curiosity that is met with the most knowledgeable, passionate, expert tutors is what makes BOVTS programme one of the finest around. I feel honoured to call BOVTS my grad school. Rachel McVay, MA Professional Acting Student