Hi, I’m Francis. I’m a playwright who loves writing about the darker side of the human psyche (despite my mother’s requests to “please write something nice for once.”) 

My most recently produced play, 'Dream School', is a thriller about a group of students who find themselves in a cult run by a classmate’s father. It was inspired by real events that unfolded at a university in the US. I was fascinated by the themes of power and manipulation, vulnerability, and strength within an academic setting. The play received a three-week-run at the Space (the Isle of Dogs) funded by ACE and was featured in The Stage. It was also longlisted for the 2023 Bruntwood Prize. 

In 2023, I was awarded the Bold Playwrights’ Prize by Bold Elephant (Elephant & Castle) for my play ‘Lucy and the VR Gods’, which allowed me to benefit from a month-long R&D and industry reading under the mentorship of Steve Harper, Literary Manager of Theatre503.

My writing often explores unprocessed grief and trauma, the powerful effect of these decades after an event and the potential to regain power over our lives.