Former pupil Miriam Battye's first play was given a rehearsed reading at the Royal Exchange Theatre on Friday 9th March.

I STARTED A FIRE is a tragic and dark comedy about unrequited love and young foolish naivety and a cast of professional actors read from the play, giving the audience a unique insight into Miriam's script.

Miriam studied Drama, English, Religious Studies and Psychology at Withington. In one AS Drama evaluation exercise Miriam wrote, 'I'd quite like to be a writer, but I've always imagined I'd write unprofessionally'! With this extraordinary work, Miriam is already a writer – but not of the ‘unprofessional' variety. While still at school, she was accepted onto The Twelve playwriting programme at the Royal Exchange and since then has written avidly. Currently studying at Bristol University she's had her work staged in productions and rehearsed readings at her university union in Bristol and the Bristol Old Vic Basement.

I STARTED A FIRE was one of the shortlisted plays in the 2011 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting – the biggest national competition for playwriting.

Ms Baylis, Ms Davies and eight Sixth Form Drama students very much enjoyed the reading at the Royal Exchange.  

Updated: 12th March 2012