Phoebe Waller-Bridge offers London flat rent-free to early-career writers

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is offering a rent-free flat in London for writers early in their careers.

The Fleabag creator, writer and actress, 41, has purchased and donated the flat as part of the new theatre initiative Writers’ Block – which aims to address the cost of London accommodation for playwrights from underprivileged backgrounds.

She bought the flat specifically for writers early in their careers to use rent-free and has donated its use alongside what the scheme called a “generous financial contribution”.

Her flat will be provided without rent, with the resident paying bills only.

Adolescence co-creator Jack Thorne – who wrote the films Wonder and Enola Holmes, as well as the Harry Potter And The Cursed Child stage play – is also providing financial backing to the scheme.

He said: “I was lucky when I started out, my brother lived in Croydon and was able to put me up. He did so, rather selflessly, for five years, before I moved to Luton and he got his peace.

“For many writers the need for a roof makes writing impossible which is why this pilot is so important. If we want stories told about our complicated world, we need writers of every background writing them.

“If you’re from privilege your biggest problem is what to fill a page with, if you’re not, so much of your struggle is about the need to survive.”

Other backers include playwright and screenwriter James Graham – who wrote stage shows including Ink, Quiz and Dear England – as well as Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, and The Crown’s Peter Morgan.

Waller-Bridge’s partner Martin McDonagh is also involved. He is best known for writing and directing films including Oscar and Bafta-winning The Banshees Of Inisherin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Graham said that the scheme tackles the class barrier facing writers and helps them avoid “giving up completely”.

“The industry’s urgent pursuit of representation is still letting down the biggest area of under-representation of all, which is class,” he said.

“When I first made it to London, I slept on friend’s floors and worked in call centres and bars while I wrote. Every spare room a scheme like this can give to writers starting out in London, not only helps them write but saves them from giving up completely.

“We don’t need grand gestures, just someone to open a door and help us keep going.”

Writers’ Block was born from the Adopt a Playwright Award initiative, which was founded in 2008 and offers affordable accommodation to writers from disadvantaged backgrounds who need to be in the capital for meetings, rehearsals, performances and career opportunities

Both schemes were created by Sofie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read, who started The Offies, the Off West End Theatre Awards.

Citing research from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre and the Sutton Trust, they said it was found that just 16% of people working in the creative industries come from working-class backgrounds.

To date, 55 writers have been supported by the Adopt A Playwright scheme.

Meanwhile Writers’ Block is a partnership with Omnibus Theatre in Clapham, which connects playwrights with hosts who have a spare room or property and are willing to offer it at dramatically reduced rates.

Irish actor Alan Turkington, best known for appearing in the Netflix series Heartstopper, has been part of the scheme, offering a room in his flat in Camberwell up for rent.

He said: “I’m so happy that I became an early adopter of this scheme and I’m even happier to champion it. I was very lucky to afford a flat in the late 90s and have tried to pay some of that privilege forward, especially now when rents are abhorrently high.

“I have rented out my spare room for years, largely to creatives, and have come to realise that writers in particular have such a strong work ethic, with a huge respect for both their space, mine and our shared home. To me, being an Omnihost is the most decent and worthwhile way to rent out a room if you have one.”