Film, Television, Theatre & Radio
Writer, Director, Actor
With over 30 years experience in the profession, Darren also facilitates workshops as a freelancer and for many organisations and educational institutions in drama, film and writing. This includes Applied Theatre and screenwriting for all ages and educational and developmental sessions for young people and children.
- Writer for film, TV, Radio and Theatre
- Script Consultancy & Editing Service
- Writer/Director, large scale community shows
- Facilitation and workshops in all media
- Director
- Actor
- Artistic Director of Spanner in the Works
- Company Director Tualen Pictures
- University Lecturer/ Tutor in Film & TV
Darren Rapier trained at Rose Bruford College, graduating in 1995 with a degree in writing. He has written for film, television, radio and theatre. Plays include The Thieftaker, about the first real gangster in early Eighteenth Century London; People in Glass Houses, a futuristic absurd comedy; Smoke, a play with music, about the railway ‘improvements’ and clearances of 1863; Boom, a community play set in 1936, about the housing boom in the South East; Extensions of Love, about one woman’s obsession with another; Worlds Apart, set in India and the UK and Jam Tomorrow, a community play set in 1968. Adaptations for children have included The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid, 1001 Arabian Nights and Clara and the Nutcracker. Short plays include The Gallery, the ten minute musical Dying for a Kipp at Greenwich Theatre and Killer Graphics, a short opera with music by Sam Hall. In 2007 he wrote and co-directed Payback for Greenwich and Lewisham Young Peoples’ Theatre and Departures for the National Youth Theatre. He has written and directed six short films (It Is, The Race, Blind Man's Bluff, Fairy on the Run, Sealed with a Kiss and Sections) has been a writer on Doctors and EastEnders for the BBC and has two feature films in production one in post-production and one in pre-production. Darren has been short-listed for the Carl Forman Award at BAFTA, is a selected short film writer for TAPS, was a finalists in the BBC Talent Television Drama initiative in 2002 and is a member of BAFTA Connect. His radio play Vital Statistics was part of BBC Radio Drama/Hampstead Theatre’s ‘Stages of Sound’ 2006 and he was a staff writer on BBC Radio's continuing drama series Silver Street. Other directing work has included many large-scale projects, including Our Town Story at the O2 for the millennium and a short devised show for Her Majesty the Queen. Acting work has included Casualty, Little Howard’s Big Question and the feature films When Did You Last See Your Father, The Be All and End All and Never Had a Chance. Darren is Artistic Director of Spanner in the Works, who run drama based workshops in schools, hospitals and museums and a freelance drama trainer and facilitator. He is also Company Director at Tualen Pictures.
Short film SEALED WITH A KISS, written and directed by Darren Rapier. Starring Gillian Kearney, David Michaels, Abigail Hardingham and Brian Bovell was been nominated for Best Short Film at the 2016 Philadelphia Independent Film Awards and selected for a number of festivals.
Sci-Fi short film HOW TO BE HUMAN, written by Darren Rapier, directed by Bruno Centofanti, co-produced by Sci-Fi London was selected for the Raindance Film festival and Encounters (among others) and won an award of excellence at the One Reeler Film Awards. It also won 'Best Sci-Fi Short' at the Sao Paulo Times Film Festival and is now screening on DUST
Darren's latest episode of DOCTORS 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' was on BBC1 on 5th January.
Darren's EASTENDERS episodes have included the Easter Monday episode and the 'Fathers and Sons' special.
Latest News:
Feature film thriller THE HARVEST, written by Darren Rapier and directed by Luke Deverill is currently in pre-production with Bedlam Pictures. They are looking to shoot it later this year.
The feature film Darren has written for director Jazz Bhalla (NEVER HAD A CHANCE), set in the Punjabi community in Hounslow, is currently in post-production and should be completed soon.
Darren's award-winning TV drama pilot SECTIONS, set in an adolescent psychiatric unit (that he has written and directed), has hit the festival circuit, where it has won 'Best Director', 'Best TV Pilot' and other awards and commendations. There is a trailer here.
The short film SODA BIKES, written by Darren Rapier and directed by Syd Heather, is now on Prime via Shorts TV.
Darren's book of lockdown puns is now available on Amazon and other online book shops.
Lockdown film I KNEW YOU'D REMEMBER, written by Darren Rapier and directed by Rebekah Fortune is now doing the festival circuit.
Darren's original BFI screenwriting classes WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA have moved online and details of the the next course can be found here.
Darren's community play Jam Tomorrow, set in 1968, was on in February to launch the opening of the newly refurbished Fellowship Inn, as an Arts and music venue, in Bellingham SE London. It had over 45 speaking parts, with a choir and house band, with a mix of original and contemporary songs. The play is available here.
Darren's musical SMOKE, with music by sam Hall, was on as part of Page to the Stage at Southwark Playhouse in September. Clips can be found here:
Darren worked with Mousetrap Theatre Projects and Steven Markwick to create the new school's musical WHERE ARE WE GOING? and the podcast musical THE KEY, both directed by Patrick O'Sulivan.
15 minute opera KILLER GRAPHICS, with book by Darren Rapier and music by Sam Hall was on, along with 5 others, at the Royal College of Music, Crime and Punishment Showcase on the 20th & 21st May. You can still see it here
Upcoming Projects:
Darren currently has a nine-part period action audio drama (with co-writer Mat Braddy) in development with Big Finish Productions. This is scheduled for recording in the summer. It is an audio adaptation of their eight-part TV period action drama TURPIN - about the true life of the notorious housebreaker, highwayman and horse thief, that tells the story of his whole life and eventual capture and hanging - rather than just about the 'gentleman highwayman' of legend. The TV version, now has a full pitch deck and pilot episode written. It's currently being shown to potential TV production companies, while the audio drama is being released.
Earlier this year Darren completed the first draft of a new $10m feature film commission based on a novel, set in Holland. The producer is now confirming cast and HODs, before moving fully into pre-production. More news to follow.
The radio Sit-Com BOW TiE, written by Darren Rapier and Stuart Murdoch, had a successful table-read and is now out to tender.
Darren has just delivered the final draft of the new Sci-Fi short A HUMAN EDGE, in development with director James AAW Cork, looking towards a shoot date early next year.
Darren's Sci-Fi thriller feature film TURN of the SUN is also in development and now has a director attached.