Writing

Octagon announces creative writing competition winners

Bolton's Octagon Theatre has announced the winners of its One Night In Bolton writing competition, launched to encourage creativity in lockdown.

Cumbrian writers selected for script development

Theatre by the Lake and Paines Plough have announced the four Cumbrian writers who have been commissioned under their Come to Where I Am project.

Chance for writers to adapt Wheatle novel

Professional writers born, raised or based in the Midlands, are being invited to apply to adapt Alex Wheatle MBE’s novel Home Girl which is scheduled to run at Derby Theatre during summer 2021.

Hope Mill evening with Jonathan Harvey & £5k playwriting prize

Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre is to present an online evening celebrating the work of writer Jonathan Harvey and is launching a playwriting prize with a prize of £5,000, a production at the theatre and mentorship from Harvey.

Vivien Leigh bio wins Theatre Book Prize

The Society for Theatre Research has announced the winner of the Theatre Book Prize for titles published in 2019 as Dark Star by Alan Strachan.

Sci-fi drama: chance for emerging Midlands writers

Up to seven up-and-coming writers are to get the chance to work on a digital TV series, SeaView, an original science-fiction drama drawing on the experiences of working-class communities in the West Midlands.

Writing micro-commissions from Alphabetti

Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre is offering 9 micro-commissions to under-represented writers.

Toby Jones and Owen Teale star in winning short

Bitter Pill's second podcast play, A Case Of Mistaken Identity written by Gus Crotty, is now available and stars Toby Jones and Owen Teale.

COVID-inspired song wins writing contest

The Mercury Theatre Colchester and Perfect Pitch song writing contest has been won by Willy Mukendi, Joseph Riley and Millie Millington for "Alone".

New plays from women of colour

ATC commissions new plays from Nessah Muthy and Yasmin Joseph.

Missing new writing

Audiences and playwrights get more of the Bare E-Ssentials during lockdown.

Oldham Coliseum’s 'Mini-Podcast Series' continues to present new work

For each episode of its Mini-Podcast Series, Oldham Coliseum has invited writers to respond to a theme within a specified length, with pieces ranging from 100 words to a 20-minute short audio-play.

Liverpool Hope National Playwriting Prize postponed until 2021

Liverpool Hope University and Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre have postponed the Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize, which gives writers a chance to win £10,000 for comedy scripts, by twelve months.

Bush Theatre lockdown photo challenge

Writers get behind weekly photo challenges, starting with Phoebe Eclair-Powell's fantasy images.

Playhouse seeks writer for Christmas show

Nottingham Playhouse is on the lookout for a professional writer to create its annual festive family show.

Yellow Earth to start online course for Midlands writers

Yellow Earth Academy, which has held an acting course in Birmingham for the past two years, is to offer a free introductory online course in writing for live performance.

Oldham Coliseum goes online

Oldham Coliseum has released 100 Word Plays (about Oldham) as audio online and is preparing to launch a monologue challenge for school and college students.

Primary schoolers help create show

Youngsters can contribute to the creation of the next adventure by Raddlesham Mumps creator.

Night of original work in Warwickshire

A night of original live performance is being organised by Shoot Festival which showcases “the best emerging talent in Coventry and Warwickshire”.

News from Cardiff

Cardiff's Sherman Theatre announces an evolving project aimed at artists affected by the coronavirus lockdown; and a Robinson Crusoe-inspired play is made available to view online.

Papatango monologues to be shared for free as video and PDF

Papatango Theatre Company's Isolated But Open Commissions—Voices From Across The Shutdown will include two new monologues from Rachel De-Lahay and Anders Lustgarten alongside ten others chosen anonymously from an open call-out to be filmed and shared and published by Nick Hern Books as PDFs for free download.

Papatango new writing initiatives during theatre closures

Papatango Theatre Company has announced a series of initiatives around new writing including open commissions for monologues, free circulation of 60 new play texts and free advice on Arts Council applications.

£10,000 prize for new comedy play

The fourth Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize sees writers invited to submit their comedy scripts for a chance to win £10,000.

Customs House Takeover play director announced

South Shields’ Customs House has announced who is to direct this year’s play from the Takeover Young Writer in Residence.

Writehouse invites new theatre writing submissions

A new theatre scratch night for playwrights from Sunderland and beyond provides an informal, social environment and is open to all.

Monster of a writing challenge

A creative writing challenge has been launched alongside the UK tour of A Monster Calls.

NE playwrights under 25: an opportunity

The Customs House in South Shields is looking for a NE-based playwright under 25 to become its third Young Writer in Residence.

New musicals to get Northampton showcase

The line-up has been announced for the “UK’s leading showcase for new British musical theatre writing” BEAM2020 which will be held in Northampton.

Hurry, if you've an itch to Scratch in Keswick

Theatre by the Lake in Keswick is launching its first-ever scratch night.

Six new plays in tribute to Delaney

Salford Arts Theatre pays tribute to Shelagh Delaney with an evening of new writing.

Write chance in Liverpool

Liverpool’s Royal Court is continuing its search for new scriptwriting talent.

New Speak Re-imagined

Various

Isolated But Open: Voices from Across The Shutdown

Rachel De-Lahay, Anders Lustgarten

Vignettes

Laura Harper, Alexandra Keelan, Katherine McDermott, Jan McVerry, Ellen Taylo...

The Famous Four And a Half Go Wild In Thetford Forest

Harry Long