Artist Spotlight: Writer, VINAY PATEL

Vinay is a scriptwriter and cat owner from South East London who loves telling big stories about small lives. He is currently an Associate Playwright at the Royal Court Theatre.

His TV debut, Murdered By My Father, won 2 RTS Awards including Best Single Drama and was nominated for three BAFTAs with Adeel Akhtar winning for Best Leading Actor. Vinay has since written episodes for Good Karma Hospital, Doctor Who and, most recently, the Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ One Day.

For theatre, Vinay’s first play True Brits started at the Edinburgh Fringe before transferring to the Bush Theatre and Vault Festival. He went on to write a romantic epic (An Adventure) for the Bush, an office satire about language and offence (Sticks & Stones) for Paines Plough while his latest production, a South Asian sci-fi adaptation of The Cherry Orchard, premiered at the Yard Theatre in September 2022. Vinay has several screen and stage projects in development, including work with the Bush, Empire Street Productions and ETT.

He’s somewhat stressed about all this but is convinced that it’s going to be OK.

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

As a writer generally, the best thing is getting to chase your curiosity into unexpected places and share what you find with others. As a playwright specifically, being in an rehearsal room. It’s the reward for being trapped with your thoughts for so long.

Who were your creative inspirations growing up?

I don’t know if there was any particular person since I was a bit of a magpie, basically getting very invested in whatever I stumbled upon (which probably explains my slightly esoteric career). I sometimes say I should find whoever was programming BBC One in the early 90s because watching that channel with my grandparents probably formed me more than anything.

Was there a particular moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer?

I think for me it was less a moment when I knew I wanted to be a writer and more a moment of accepting that I couldn’t deny that’s what I wanted.

First memory of going to the theatre?

I was in a primary school play that wound up at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford which was probably the first time I stepped into a theatre. The first production I saw was, I think, a school trip to see A Streetcar Named Desire with Glenn Close at the National Theatre. I don’t remember a thing about it which is a shame because – having done a quick Google – Michael Billington gave it the full five stars.

We loved the latest adaptation of One Day on Netflix. You wrote one of the episodes. How did that come about and what was it like?

One Day was a seminal book for me as a young man partly because it charted out all the potential joys and pitfalls that might await me. When you’re that age, adult problems feel very grown up and exotic. But mostly because it was the first time I got to share my enthusiasm for a romance story with a male friend who also loved it. My agent emailed me about it in early 2021 and I believe I sent an immediate, all-caps reply.

I knew Nicole a little bit and loved her work so was delighted that she wanted me as part of the team. All the more so because I got to work alongside Bijan Sheibani and Anna Jordan who I also adore. Working on TV with fellow playwrights is the dream. The process of shaping a story of that span was tricksy but I think it all turned out pretty well.

What was the last play you saw?

The last play I saw was The Employees at the Southbank Centre. It’s a Polish production adapted from a novel where the audience is encouraged to move around the outside of the set as cameras inside tell the story of a group of humans and their android counterparts on a spaceship. Reminded me fondly in places of my Cherry Orchard (with a much bigger budget) but was also fascinating in and of itself.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into playwriting?

If you see a play you hate, write a note to yourself asking what you think someone might have thought was good about it. Find others to work with who get you and make them friends for life. But most of all, keep your eyes on your own path. There are so many ways to do it.

What would you like to see change in theatre this year?

Lots of theatres and companies are still struggling to connect with audiences again post-Covid. My big hope is that starts to shift this year and we can find each other again.

What’s in store for Vinay Patel in 2025?

I honestly don’t know! Possibly the biggest things that have ever happened to me, possibly absolutely nothing. But I’m currently working on projects that stretch me artistically with people who support that ambition and I don’t think you can ask for more than that as an artist?

And finally, how are your cats? 

I’ve got two lovely if now quite elderly cats. One of who recently underwent extensive liver surgery but is currently bouncing around like a kitten. I’m a maudlin sort of person so I’m constantly aware of how little time I’ve got left with them but my god how lucky I feel to have shared a good chunk of my life with them.