As a writer I have 39 plays registered on the Doollee Database of contemporary theatre.  (Click here for my plays) As a director I have developed a style and theory which I call The Burning Stage‍ ‍based on Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty, Grotowski’s Poor Theatre and Peter Brook’s “Empty Space”.  It has developed from my early extensive work in theatre-in-the-round and street theatre with luminaries such as Ken Campbell, Ben Bennison and Jonathan Kaye.

The Burning Stage seeks to encourage a simpler, more straight foward type of theatre; low tech and low cost for local audiences.

After six years as Artistic Director of Arts Council promoted Oxfordshire Theatre Company, I formed my own company Spyway Projects. Much of my work has been in small venues for community audiences and has included a celebrated theatre project for adults with learning disabilities throughout Dorset which was called Sparkle and which led to a follow up in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

I have worked extensively with Radio 3 musician Roddy Skeaping and his Collectif International des Improvisateurs and have contributed lyrics to works at The Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall as well as a commissioned oratorio “Our World of Shopping” for the Brighton International Festival. In 2002/3 we were commissioned to write Two Songs for Elizabeth in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee. Performed by James Bowman and the English Consort of Viols at the Banqueting Hall of Whitehall Palace.

Some of my most enjoyable musical moments have been working with Lucie Skeaping’s City Waites early music band.

As a performer I have appeared on stage and films and I am to be seen around Bournemouth and Dorset performing my poetry. (Poetry Platform Award 2024)

I am recently wrestling with extended prose writing from which will emerge two novels of bewilderment.

I also make videos and podcasts.

What’s He Up To?

Over the last couple of years I’ve been trying to work out what it is I’ve been up to all this time. This has resulted in a lot of thinking about story-telling. You’ll find my musings elsewhere under the title My Story Story. This has also resulted in lots of You Tube videos and, over the past six months, my podcast Tales from the Cliff Edge.

I’m currently working on a number of projects that will see the light of day soon.  Life, Death and Everything in Between has been developed as a studio recording and is available on the podcast site Tales From the Cliff Edge .  I’m not forgetting the stage version, though, and that’s developing along the same lines. My play about the pioneer of birth control Marie Stopes called Escaping the Storm was a massive undertaking and took me a whole year to write. That’s all behind me now but I’m considering options for following it up . Eve of War was pencilled in for a limited number of dates which had to be cancelled. We all know the reason for that.   Will it ever see the light of day again? Strangely, every time I’ve put it away another war has broken out and it becomes relevant all over again. I may develop a shorter vrsion for the 2020s. Meanwhile I’m continuing to convert my back catalogue into a format for publishing on line.

Some comments about Productions by Peter John Cooper

“…a play that is certain to become a theatrical treasure in the future”

‘She Opened the Door’ for AsOne Theatre Co. (Dorset Echo)

“ A genuine masterstroke of theatre”
‘ Don Quixote’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“The unshowy positiveness of Peter Cooper’s direction”
‘Toeing the Line’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“Peter Cooper directs with the utmost clarity and economy”
Frankenstein’ for Oxfordshire Touring Theatre (Oxford Mail)

“It was a wonderful event. I am so pleased I went and found it incredibly moving. Brilliant writing, acting, production.” 
Christine Aziz, novelist