Benjamin Salmon is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and actor based in London, England.
About Benjamin
As a writer and creator, Benjamin’s work often explores what it means to be queer, circa now — and all the challenges, humour and complexities that come with that emotional terrain.
His work is funny, emotional, tender — and a little bit dangerous.
After growing up in the West Midlands, Benjamin trained as an actor at National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, before being accepted onto Soho Theatre’s Writers Lab program, where he developed his first play, Blowhole (Pleasance London / Edinburgh, Soho Theatre 2019-23).
His other plays include:- Our House (National Youth Theatre, 2019) and LOVE BOMB (National Youth Theatre, 2023).
Benjamin’s latest commission, Lear is Not Okay, is a new play which was devised with the Almeida Theatre Young Company. The play premiered at the Almeida Theatre in March 2024.
In 2020, Benjamin was included on Sister Pictures and Olivia Colman’s South of the River Pictures’ SCREENSHOT commendation list of the most exciting comedy writer-performers based in the UK.
Benjamin’s spec script for television, CHUTZPAH, received a nomination for Best Comedy Script at the 2022 TV Foundation New Voice Awards.
Benjamin has written and contributed to online outlets such as What’s On Stage. He also teaches and facilitates courses, workshops and masterclasses that explore playwriting, comedy and acting for various organisations including National Theatre, Old Vic Theatre, Soho Theatre and Roundhouse. He is a Visiting Lecturer at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.
Benjamin lives in London — and, in his spare time, he enjoys making his nieces and nephews laugh / roll their eyes.
Benjamin’s play, Blowhole, is published by Playdead Press and is available to buy online and in selected bookstores across the UK.
Featured Work
Blowhole
Meet “Him”. He's gay, twenty-something, and aspiring to be Billie Piper circa 1999. For now though, he's still single, still horny, and still perfecting his bum-hole selfie in the work toilets. A frank, funny and queer exploration of contemporary swipe-right culture, unrequited love, and the perpetually significant relationship that you have with yourself.
Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe — 2023
Soho Theatre — 2022
Pleasance, London — 2021
LOVE BOMB
Charlie’s a hopeless romantic. The only catch is that she’s perpetually single. As the friends she’s always depended upon all begin their journeys into “proper” relationships, Charlie is confronted by the pain, the awkwardness and the necessity of being alone.
National Youth Theatre — 2023
Our House
A site-specific epic exploring the hidden and undiscovered queer history and legacy of Eltham Palace.
Award winner — UK Heritage Award for Best Live Event, 2020
National Youth Theatre — 2019