Clapton playwright doing ‘2,000 jobs for a tenner’ to reach New York
Samuel Evans is raising money to be able to go to New York University by taking on 2,000 odd jobs - Credit: Archant
A playwright is doing all he can to realise his dream of studying theatre in New York – including cooking, cleaning, dog walking, waitering and giving massages.
Samuel Evans, 28, was over the moon when he won a fellowship to study dramatic writing at New York University (NYU) – especially considering he spent his last £50 on the application.
The good news didn’t stop there, either, and he was told the university would be paying his tuition fees.
But the Clapton creative needs to raise £20,000 before he leaves in September to help with health insurance, living expenses and other costs.
“I’m not allowed to work more than 20 hours a week in the states and I can’t self fund the trip, but I don’t want handouts,” said Samuel, a teaching assistant at Hackney Pupil Referral Unit and support worker.
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“Instead I’ve come up with the idea of fundraising by doing 2,000 jobs for a tenner to make my dream a reality.
“I’ll do anything! I’ve already had a few cleaning jobs and this weekend I’m decorating a friends house. I’m doing about five jobs a week at the moment, on top of my day job, so I’m quite tired.”
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Samuel has written two plays – Tomorrow, which ran at the Arts Theatre in Leicester Square last month, and My Beautiful City, which could be seen at the Arcola Theatre in Ashwin Street, Dalston.
He uses his experiences as a support worker in women’s shelters, hostels and rehab units to shape his work.
“I’m a champion of diversity in theatre,” he continued. “I work with people coming out of prison or drug addicts in my plays.”
And he is pleading with anyone who may want to support him in his dream, including some giants of the industry.
“I’m just trying to make my dream happen. I’ve written to playwrights and actors because a friend of mine was supported through drama school by Anthony Hopkins. I’ve written to Alan Bennett, Judi Dench, Mike Lee, Julie Walters. I even wrote to Victoria Wood before she died.”
If you need any – and he means any – jobs doing, you can negotiate with Samuel at crowdfunder.co.uk/two-thousand-jobs-for-a-tenner.
