Phoebe Waller-Bridge donates flat to help early-career writers live in London

Fleabag creator joins stars signing up to scheme aimed at tackling class barriers in theatre

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has donated a London flat so that early-career writers can afford to live in the capital.

The creator of the hit show Fleabag bought the property specifically for Writers’ Block, a new scheme tackling class barriers in theatre. The flat will be offered to writers from disadvantaged backgrounds, who will pay only bills. Waller-Bridge has also made what the initiative described as a “generous financial contribution”.

The screenwriter Jack Thorne, who co-created Adolescence and wrote Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, is also backing the scheme financially. “I was lucky when I started out, my brother lived in Croydon and was able to put me up,” he said.