Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge buys a £1million London flat to house struggling young playwrights rent-free

Waller-Bridge, 41, purchased the flat specifically for the Writers' Block initiative, run by the Adopt a Playwright charity, which connects playwrights from disadvantaged backgrounds with affordable London accommodation. The resident pays bills only, with Waller-Bridge covering rent entirely from a property she bought for this purpose alone. Jack Thorne, James Graham, Sally Wainwright and Peter Morgan are among the leading names also backing the scheme financially.

Thorne said 'the need for a roof makes writing impossible' and that privilege determines whether a writer's biggest problem is 'what to fill a page with'.

James Graham said the industry's 'urgent pursuit of representation is still letting down the biggest area of under-representation of all, which is class.'

Backers also include Martin McDonagh, Lee Hall, Caryl Churchill and the Estate of Harold Pinter.