Isabella Culver is a British-American Writer, Director and Actor who grew up in South-East London. Isabella recently completed her Sky Arts and Creative England debut short film ‘SEVEN SISTERS’ a modern-day drama that follows a teenage girl as she seeks solace after a traumatic sexual assault. The short aired on Sky Arts and is available on Now TV. Isabella was also commissioned production company Bryncoed to write TV Pilot ‘AS DEAD AS IT GETS’ a youth-based drama set in Croydon. ‘AS DEAD AS IT GETS’ hosted a rehearsed reading at The Young Vic Theatre in London and was directed by Akaash Meeda. She is also working on a documentary about the London Club Scene and emergence of Ska Music, specifically focussing on the club night ‘Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues’ which started in the 1960’s and is still a hub for young musicians to congregate today.
Isabella won The Bristol Old Vic ‘Open Session’ playwriting competition for her debut play ‘The Dissociation of Shirley Mason’. Over a year Isabella worked with the highly acclaimed Writing department at The Bristol Old Vic to develop her work. ‘The Dissociation of Shirley Mason’ was staged at The Bristol Old Vic and received a five-star review from A Younger Theatre. It is a physical theatre play and psychological thriller focussing on mental health in the 1950’s. During her time working with The Bristol Old Vic she was mentored by James Peries and also completed an R&D for her new play ‘FLORIDA SNOW’ a coming of age tale set in Daytona Beach Florida.
Isabella studied theatre at The BRIT School and went on to receive a 1st Class BA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. After graduating Isabella acted as Assistant Producer during an internship with immersive theatre company ‘RAUCOUS’ under Artistic Director Sharon Clark. During her time at Bath Spa she participated in the Creative Thinking Competition and was selected to be part of The Hot House Collective run by Ark Data Centre’s. She worked with them over the course of six months to develop ideas for VR and Brainwave reader games to be used in schools for children with learning difficulties.
2023
SEVEN SISTERS
Shortflix
Sky Arts & Creative England
Available on Now TV
Writer & Director
https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/peckham-filmmakers-work-broadcast-on-sky-arts/
2022
UNTITLED
Writers room
Vertigo
2020
GAZ’S ROCKIN’ BLUES
Co-Director with Isla Gaffney
(In Development)
2019
AS DEAD AS IT GETS
Bryncoed Productions
Writer
AS DEAD AS IT GETS
Bryncoed Productions
Writers Workshop
THE DISSOCIATION OF SHIRLEY MASON
The Bristol Old Vic
Directed by Peter Lesley Wild
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ review – A Younger Theatre
2018
R&D THE DISSOCIATION OF SHIRLEY MASON
The Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
R&D FLORIDA SNOW
The Bristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
AWARDS
2020
ShortFLIX Final 5
Creative England & Sky Arts
https://www.creativeengland.co.uk/shortflix-final5/
2017
Bristol Old Vic ‘Open Sessions’ Playwriting Competition Winner https://bristololdvic.org.uk/press/
Bath Spa Global Citizenship Certificate
2016
Bath Spa International Bursary
2015
Ark Data Centre’s Hot House Collective
2014
Ark Data Centre’s Creative Thinking Award, Shortlist