Talented young director and writer Jesse Briton has returned to East 15 Acting School to mentor students preparing for Debut Festival 2014.

The Festival features new actors in new plays by new writers and is an incredibly vibrant showcase for students established by Head of the BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course Uri Roodner.

Working alongside Leo Butler from the Royal Court Theatre, who is mentoring the writers, Jesse is back at East 15 Acting School to mentor the directors in this year’s Festival.

Jesse said: “The work is all created by the students – written, directed and acted by them. That is one of the fun things about coming back again and again – the work will always be vastly different.

"There is a whole range of work in the festival this year - some fantastical, some more traditional - and you get a real mix of themes and genres going on as the students really start to play and discover their unique personal style.”

Jesse, founder and artistic director of Bear Trap Theatre Company, knows the value of the festival.

A previous Debut Festival saw Jesse and fellow graduating students create BOUND, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010, winning numerous awards during its sell out run, including a Fringe First. Further awards have followed in Australia, Ireland and London with a nomination for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Jesse.

He said: “It shows what you can create if you put your mind to it while you are training."

Over the last six years a number of Debut plays have gone on to be professional productions, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival, the Brighton Festival, and transferring to such venues as Soho Theatre, The Bush, Southwark Playhouse and BAC.

The Debut Festival will run from Wednesday 19 February 19 to Saturday 22 February at The Corbett Theatre on the University's Loughton Campus.