Writing for Theatre

Person writing in an open notebook with handwritten text, holding a pen in their right hand. The foreground focuses on the writing, while the background is blurred, making it unclear.

Writing for Theatre is a free course for 16-20 year olds with a passion for writing. During the course you will develop the practical tools and skills to focus your ideas and turn them into theatre.

Using exercises, games and creative tasks, find out how to generate ideas and create structure, character and dialogue. Professional playwrights will lead and support you to gain a deeper understanding of the playwriting process.

This year, we’re particularly interested in hearing from people who live, work, study or socalise in our local borough of Lambeth.

Writing for Theatre applications are now open.

Apply now for Writing for Theatre

Applications close on Friday 23 August, 10am.

How it works

Part 1

The first 6 weeks of the course will take place at West Norwood Library.
Working with professional playwrights you’ll explore your ideas, structure, form and you’ll be supported to generate and craft your voice as a writer. These sessions will be a mixture of learning writing craft and exploration of what you’d like to write about.
Within these weeks you’ll explore a range of texts as well as watch plays, too.

Part 2

The second 6 weeks of the course will take place at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
This next part of the course will be a mixture of practice writing, peer-group working and hearing your text out loud. You’ll be guided through each week by our playwright facilitators to develop your writing and find your voice.
During this time and if you’d like to, you’ll be encouraged to work towards a piece of writing which you’d like to hear out loud in Part 3.

Part 3

This final part of the course will be your opportunity to have some time with actors and a director in a rehearsal room, to hear your writing out loud and explore how your work translates from page to stage.
Participants will be offered time to work with their playwright to research and develop this piece of writing within a rehearsal room context.

As part of the course, you’ll watch performances at the National Theatre and explore other theatre spaces, too.

Applications open

Course dates

Please note part 1 and 2 are compulsory to take part; part 3 is optional.

Part 1

Tuesday 9 September, 6pm – 10pm, Intro session & theatre trip, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 17 September, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library
Tuesday 24 September, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library
Tuesday 1 October, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library
Tuesday 8 October, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library
Tuesday 15 October, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library
Tuesday 22 October, 6pm – 8pm, West Norwood Library

Part 2

Tuesday 5 November, 7pm – 10pm, Theatre trip, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 12 November, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 19 November, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 26 November, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 3 December, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 10 December, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank
Tuesday 17 December, 6pm – 8pm, National Theatre, South Bank

Part 3

Saturday 18 January, full day, National Theatre Studio, The Cut
Saturday 25 January, full day, National Theatre Studio, The Cut

Apply now for Writing for Theatre

Applications close on Friday 23 August, 10 am.

Recruitment

We are furthering our commitment to diversity and access by concentrating recruitment in three areas that we recognise have been most affected by the events of the last few years:

young people from the global majority;
young people from working-class backgrounds;
and d/Deaf, neurodivergent and disabled young people.

This project is free to take part in and access support and travel bursaries are available to those in the Greater London area.

Writing for Theatre will take place at West Norwood Library in Lambeth and at the National Theatre on the South Bank in London. Therefore, we aim to offer and prioritise places to those based in Lambeth, or who live, work, study or socialise in Lambeth and can travel to both locations easily and safely across the course.

For those based around the UK and farther afield, we frequently offer online workshops and programmes nationally which may be accessible to you – to keep up to date about these opportunities, you can sign up to our mailing list here.

What participants say:

I was really touched and happy to have been in a space that was cultivated with passion and love by incredibly inspiring playwrights and mentors. I honestly enjoyed every single moment working on the project and I learnt a phenomenal amount. From allowing me to develop my craft and build on my technique, to challenge myself and evolve with such a diverse and brilliant cohort of writers; I had a blast.

I would never have found the group of friends that I made without this. Graduating during lockdown stunted my creative growth and when I saw the course advertised I thought this was a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and bring back my spark! Well it definitely did! Our group have now formed an independent writing group. The support is invaluable.

Our funders

The Young People’s programmes are supported by Bank of America, The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation and the Richard Radcliffe Trust. With thanks to the MAP Fund.

The Mohn Westlake Foundation supports nationwide Learning programmes for young people.

Nationwide learning is supported by Buffini Chao Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Clore Duffield Foundation, Tim and Sarah Bunting, Behrens Foundation, Cleopatra Trust and Milton Grundy Foundation.

Find out more about supporting our work