Writing
Qualifications
I studied writing and directing at UNITEC and then did my masters at Victoria University's Institute of Modern Letters.
Accolades
I've picked up a few awards and a scholarship for my playwriting. I won the Young Playwrights Competition a few times and walked away from the Wellington Fringe Festival with 'Best Theatre' awards two years in a row. My theatre company, 3girls6legs, was also named Best New Theatre Company by Metro Magazine.
Feature Article and Review Writing
I've written feature articles and reviews for publications including The New Zealand Herald, The Sunday Star Times, The Fix, The Big Day Out Magazine, Rip It Up, Her Business and The Groove Guide.
Theatre
I've had several plays produced across New Zealand. The best-known of these are the bitterwseet comedy 'Little Death' and the outrageous musical farce 'French Toast', which both played at The Silo Theatre and Bats Theatre. I've also co-created multimedia shows such as Evil Fiona's Love Test.
TV
After the rite of passage of a Shortland Street internship I wrote for Wiggly Fin, which was a fantastic and uber-cute animated kids series.
Reviews
Little Death
"Van Beek has penned strong characters in a well structured and witty play about things that matter."
National Business Review
"A nearly tragic comedy about sex, the play is a winner because of its sharp and sophisticated writing."
The Dominion
"There is some excellent writing in this play - quick, sharp dialogue with tragic-comic emotions. It has also been thoughtfully structured. In short, this is a well-crafted and interesting play as well as a courageous one and bodes well for the future of its author."
Theatre News
"At turns sweet and at other times disarmingly disturbing, its grasp on the complex emotional reality for a teenager damaged by a sexual experience that didn't match up to romantic ideals was refreshingly strong."
Sunday Star Times
Indiscretions
"Playwright Kathryn van Beek reinforces her status as a new young talent on the rise."
National Business Review
"The highlight of my viewing has been Indiscretions, a 40-minute play by Kathryn van Beek. The play's language delights partly because it is so clever and grounded in experience and partly because its three actresses use their voices so well that listening to them is a rare pleasure."
Dominion Post
"Produced by a smart set of Auckland Unitec graduates, Kathryn van Beek's rich and clever performance piece Iniscretions was last week's theatre highlight. Van Beek's vivid, surreal texts were presented with real visual flair."
Sunday Star Times
For Georgie
"Written by promising playwright Kathryn van Beek, For Georgie is a thoughtful and moving dissection of the aftermath of a suicide. Van Beek's dialogue is full of wry irony. The playwright tackles youth suicide head on in a mature, honest way that casts much light on an issue that is too often avoided, or if talked about, only in whispers."
Sunday Star Times
"Van Beek establishes herself through fringe productions as among the most promising young writers in New Zealand theatre."
New Zealand Herald
I studied writing and directing at UNITEC and then did my masters at Victoria University's Institute of Modern Letters.
Accolades
I've picked up a few awards and a scholarship for my playwriting. I won the Young Playwrights Competition a few times and walked away from the Wellington Fringe Festival with 'Best Theatre' awards two years in a row. My theatre company, 3girls6legs, was also named Best New Theatre Company by Metro Magazine.
Feature Article and Review Writing
I've written feature articles and reviews for publications including The New Zealand Herald, The Sunday Star Times, The Fix, The Big Day Out Magazine, Rip It Up, Her Business and The Groove Guide.
Theatre
I've had several plays produced across New Zealand. The best-known of these are the bitterwseet comedy 'Little Death' and the outrageous musical farce 'French Toast', which both played at The Silo Theatre and Bats Theatre. I've also co-created multimedia shows such as Evil Fiona's Love Test.
TV
After the rite of passage of a Shortland Street internship I wrote for Wiggly Fin, which was a fantastic and uber-cute animated kids series.
Reviews
Little Death
"Van Beek has penned strong characters in a well structured and witty play about things that matter."
National Business Review
"A nearly tragic comedy about sex, the play is a winner because of its sharp and sophisticated writing."
The Dominion
"There is some excellent writing in this play - quick, sharp dialogue with tragic-comic emotions. It has also been thoughtfully structured. In short, this is a well-crafted and interesting play as well as a courageous one and bodes well for the future of its author."
Theatre News
"At turns sweet and at other times disarmingly disturbing, its grasp on the complex emotional reality for a teenager damaged by a sexual experience that didn't match up to romantic ideals was refreshingly strong."
Sunday Star Times
Indiscretions
"Playwright Kathryn van Beek reinforces her status as a new young talent on the rise."
National Business Review
"The highlight of my viewing has been Indiscretions, a 40-minute play by Kathryn van Beek. The play's language delights partly because it is so clever and grounded in experience and partly because its three actresses use their voices so well that listening to them is a rare pleasure."
Dominion Post
"Produced by a smart set of Auckland Unitec graduates, Kathryn van Beek's rich and clever performance piece Iniscretions was last week's theatre highlight. Van Beek's vivid, surreal texts were presented with real visual flair."
Sunday Star Times
For Georgie
"Written by promising playwright Kathryn van Beek, For Georgie is a thoughtful and moving dissection of the aftermath of a suicide. Van Beek's dialogue is full of wry irony. The playwright tackles youth suicide head on in a mature, honest way that casts much light on an issue that is too often avoided, or if talked about, only in whispers."
Sunday Star Times
"Van Beek establishes herself through fringe productions as among the most promising young writers in New Zealand theatre."
New Zealand Herald
Kathryn van Beek
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Publicity, Music, Design, Events, Interview, Review
