Josh Elliott is a playwright and dramaturg of Indian and Irish heritage, committed to amplifying the voices of marginalised writers, particularly those living with long-term illnesses.
About
Josh is currently developing a full-length play for the Almeida Theatre. His contribution to The Key Workers' Cycle received critical acclaim, with The Funeral Directors’ Play hailed by The Guardian as a “fantastically weird, funny, macabre piece” and “a little gem of a black comedy.” The Times praised its “neat, witty” writing, while The London Evening Standard called it “unexpectedly sweet and sad.”
As Literary Manager and Dramaturg at Graeae Theatre Company, Josh led on a range of projects, including co-creating Crips Without Constraints, a series that showcased disabled artists during the pandemic. The project was celebrated for its “sharp satire and tender drama,” while raising important questions about representation and authenticity (The Guardian).
With a focus on supporting diverse and disabled writers, Josh has worked as a dramaturg and script reader with leading companies such as the Royal Court, Talawa, the Royal Exchange Manchester, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, always prioritising the integrity and individuality of each writer's voice.
Writing
Cannibal Tom (In development, commissioned by the Almeida Theatre)
Living Archive, Volume 1 (Directed by Hamish Pirie, Royal Court, 2022)
The Key Workers' Cycle: The Funeral Workers’ Play (Directed by Emily Ling Williams, Almeida, 2022)
Living Newspaper, Edition 3: Horoscopes (Co-written with Eve Leigh; directed by Sam Pritchard, Royal Court, 2021)
Stomach Full (Editor, 2021) – A zine by artist Rachael Young, supporting Queer artists from the global majority during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring contributions from a range of writers and artists including Honey Williams, Anna Smith, and Ruby Rare.
Never Better (Reading directed by Lucy Morrison, Royal Court, 2020)
Dramaturgy
Graeae New Writing Festival 2025 – Readings of two full-length plays and three short plays by Deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent writers (Graeae/Rich Mix, 2025)
Cured by Laurence Clark (Commissioned by Birds of Paradise and Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre; reading at National Theatre Studios; national tour planned for 2026)
Jinnity by Shahid Iqbal Khan (In development, commissioned by Graeae and the Royal Court; shortlisted for the George Devine Award 2023)
12 Letters to My Name by Lettie Precious (In development, commissioned by Graeae and ETT)
Crips with Chips @ Liverpool Everyman – Short plays by Matthew Gabrielli, Madeleine Farnhill, Karen Featherstone, and Bobby Brill (Directed by Nicole Joseph, Anthony Gough, and Laura Guthrie, Graeae/Liverpool Everyman, 2024)
Crips with Chips @ Theatre by the Lake – Short plays by Doug Deans, Nell Hardy, Caitlin Kearns, and Temi Makjekodunmi (Directed by Nicole Joseph and Ben Spiller, Graeae/Theatre by the Lake, 2023)
Tuning In by Adam Fenton (Directed by Nickie Miles Wildin; national tour in 2023 with Miles-Wildin, Ng Productions, Theatre by the Lake, and Graeae)
Crips Without Constraints, Part 2 – Short plays by Leanna Benjamin, Rebekah Bowsher, Karen Featherstone, Kellan Frankland, and Jessica Lovett (Cast: Sharon D Clarke, Cherylee Houston, Julie Graham, Mandy Colleran, Harriet Walter, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and more; Graeae, 2021)
Crips Without Constraints – Eleven monologues by disabled writers (Graeae, 2021)
Buzzing by Anita Kelly (Developed by Graeae; produced by Bristol Old Vic, 2020)
The Day the Birds Disappeared by Anita Kelly (Commissioned by Graeae and Theatre Royal Plymouth; produced by Theatre Royal Plymouth, 2020)
“Josh is highly skilled at understanding quickly the heart of a story, asking questions that stretch and inspire whilst honouring the fragility of ideas developing.”