Monologue Man
aka Toby Farrow
Scriptwriting. Directing. Dramaturgy. Mentoring.
As an Anglo-Dutch multidisciplinary artist, I write, direct and develop original work, adaptations and devised stories, with a particular focus on dramatic monologues.
Alongside my own creative work, I mentor emerging writers and performers.
“Farrow writes accessible, contemporary scripts that blend whip-crack dialogue with surreal comedy; he either has a preternatural ability for naturalistic speech, or a bunch of audio recorders and a bad bugging habit.”
The Independent
The Monologue Man Project
In challenging times, I believe monologues offer the best chance of getting your work seen by an audience. They are cheaper to produce, faster to stage, easier to road-test with peers, quick to rehearse, and adaptable to different staging environments.
The DIY spirit that helps art forms mutate, shift, and progress, combined with modern technology, means you don’t have to sacrifice production values or creative vision to achieve high-quality work.
I am currently adapting my previous multi-character plays into monologues and writing a new series: The Chaos State Trilogy, a series of one-act monologues which draw on Greek Myths to explore the masculinity crisis in work and culture.
Brave Buffalo (Complete)
A high-flying agency owner's hubris causes him to spectacularly lose everything but his robot vacuum cleaner just before his digital tribute event. In a final act of defiance, he races against time to stream his final tale before the police arrive.
Double Yellow (Developing)
An overzealous parking warden gets a taste of his own medicine during a chaotic parking awareness course. As his rigid life spins completely out of control, he faces a choice: crash and burn, or climb out of the wreckage a changed man.
Shutterbugs (Pipeline)
Seeking revenge, an exploited employee fuels a bitter feud between two rival family photography firms. But the petty workplace war quickly spirals out of control, leading to a totalled gold Ferrari, a cannabis farm in the rafters, and a one-way ticket to the clink.
Dramaturgy, Teaching & Mentoring
For individuals, creative teams, theatre companies, and educational organisations.
I focus on script development, character, structure, and performance, providing a practical, collaborative, and supportive space for writers, performers, and emerging creatives to test ideas, build confidence, and create compelling work.
Combining dramaturgical insight with constructive honesty, my sessions guide practitioners through every stage of the creative process.
I currently teach playwriting at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, previously lectured in playwriting at Bath Spa University, and mentor their playwriting and directing graduates at Emerge Studio. I have also worked as a freelance Creative Director guiding the set-up of Boomsatsuma’s Create Agency for emerging creatives.
For more information or to book me for dramaturgy, workshops, one-to-one sessions, or a group bootcamp, get in touch.
“My head is spinning. I absolutely love the way you’ve helped me start loving writing again after feeling a bit battered and bruised by the broadcasting world I've been inhabiting for the last 30-odd years.”
Bridget Hurst. Screenwriter turned playwright."What impressed me most was the way you spotted a thread in what I was saying and invited me to lean into it. That kind of attentive listening and thoughtful prompting helped me express myself in a way that felt grounded and true."
Natalie Bedford. Artist.My background
After earning a BA (Hons) in TV & Radio Production at Bournemouth University, I became a performance poet, actor, and musician, and briefly worked as an up-and-coming stand-up before settling on playwriting.
I have collaborated with leading arts institutions, including Bristol Old Vic (as playwright-in-residence), Tobacco Factory Theatres, Chichester Festival Theatre, The Bush, Royal Court, Southwark Playhouse, BAC, Birmingham Rep, Paines Plough and the National Theatre.
I also worked as a script editor and story deviser on Aardman Animation’s BAFTA-nominated Creature Comforts (ITV1, series 1 & 2).
Selected Written Work
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The Unconsoled
Adaptation of the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro
A world-renowned pianist named Ryder arrives in an unidentified Central European city for a high-stakes concert he cannot remember agreeing to, only to plunge into a surreal, dreamlike maze of forgotten obligations and demands from strangers.
Adapted by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Martin ConstantineDeveloped at The National Theatre Studio
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Kangaroo Valley
Fleeing his overbearing father and coach, an Australian Olympic swimming hopeful washes up in a gritty Shepherds Bush hostel. He seeks escape but instead finds a chaotic substitute family: a wannabe skateboarding champion, a lap dancer who dreams of photography, and an ageing nomad spinning tall tales. As his sporting ambitions drift out of reach, he spirals into petty crime and local vice. What was meant to be a clean break quickly devolves into a desperate fight for survival.
Written & Directed by: Toby Farrow
Commissioned by: The Bush
Produced by: Bristol Old Vic & The ConventPerformed at Bristol Old Vic.
London transfer to Southwark Playhouse. -
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Breathed into life by ancient magic, a rebellious living puppet flees his maker and enters a treacherous underworld, pursued by a mafioso puppet master and a sinister ice cream seller, while Jimmy the Cricketer, an eccentric expat, chaperones him. Desperate to return home, Pinocchio ends up trapped in the belly of a whale, but he uses his quick wits and learning to escape, proving he has what it takes to finally become a real boy.
Adapted by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Andy Burden
Produced by: Tobacco Factory Theatres -
Gringos
Description to follow
Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Martin ConstantineProduced by Bristol Old Vic.
London Transfer to Southwark Playhouse.
Subsequent London Transfer to BAC -
A Christmas Carol
Description to follow
*****The Guardian
Adapted by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Andy Burden
Produced by: Tobacco Factory Theatre -
Summer In The City
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Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Martin Constantine
Produced by: Bristol Old Vic
London transfer to BAC -
The Jungle Book
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Adapted by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Dan Danson
Produced by: Tobacco Factory Theatres -
Aeroplane Bones
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Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Martin Constantine
Commissioned & Developed by: Birmingham Rep
Produced by: Bristol Old Vic -
The Fat Stock Show
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Written & performed by: Toby Farrow & Martin Constantine
Produced by: Chichester Festival Theatre & Lifetime Theatre
Transferred to Bristol Old Vic -
Social Grooming
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Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Jessica Dromgoole
Commissioned & Produced by: Paines Plough.
National Tour as part of Western Front -
That's All Folks!
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Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Gareth Machin
Produced by: Bristol Old Vic -
Pool Party
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Written & Directed by: Toby Farrow
Produced by: Theatre West -
Catbrain Hill
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Young People Play
Written by: Toby Farrow
Directed by: Jo Darby
Produced by: Bristol Old Vic -
Eat The Young
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Young Person Play
Written & Directed by: Toby Farrow
Produced by: Year Out Drama Co. -
Baby Sharks
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Plays are made to be read and performed.
If any of the above interests you, or you’d like to bounce ideas around for a new project, let’s talk
On The Adventures of Pinocchio for Tobacco Factory Theatres
"A show that sends you off beaming and sharing favourite moments from a hugely charismatic couple of hours."
***** The Guardian
"A stunning new production. The comedy works on many levels."
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