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Clockwise from top left: Roisin Ann Bonar, Jacob Ethan Tanner, Lucy Heathcote, Emma-Louise Howell, Eilidh Nurse, Noor Sobka, Mackenzie Steed and Katie Walker-Cook

Pentabus picks eight national young writers

26 April 2025

Shropshire rural theatre company Pentabus has revealed its eight 2025 National Young Writers to create short plays for digital platforms.

Royal and Derngate’s young company performing Saba’s Swim

New plays in Northampton National Theatre festival

27 March 2025

Northampton’s Royal and Derngate will welcome hundreds of young people to perform in the National Theatre Connections Festival 2025.

Publicity image for Tinderbox's Incubate Festival at The Mac, Belfast

Tinderbox reveals details of “cutting edge” Incubate Festival

12 March 2025

Seven theatre-makers to preview new works-in-progress at Belfast’s The Mac.

Mufaro Makubika with community members during the development of the play We Need New Names

Writers asked for plays that “pop up” in everyday locations

11 March 2025

East Midlands theatre company Fifth Word is asking writers to produce short plays that can “pop up” outside traditional theatre spaces.

Delighted: Cathie Rolinson

Cathie comes out on top in search for new play

28 February 2025

Malvern Theatres and The Everyman, Cheltenham have selected the winning entry for their inaugural playwriting competition: In Veritas by Cathie Rolinson.

Some of the entries for the 2024 National Young Writers course

Applications open for young writers course

27 February 2025

Rural theatre company Pentabus has announced that applications are open for National Young Writers 2025, a free online course.

The new Hippodrome Origins cohort (from left): Jaz Morrison, Nathan Sebastian Lafayette, Elizabeth O’Connor, Zakariye Abdillahi, Tina Hofman, Louis Wharton, Amerah Saleh and Grace Barrington

Hippodrome chooses artists for development programme

20 February 2025

Birmingham Hippodrome’s new work and artist development department has announced its first cohort for Hippodrome Origins.

Showcase host Alex Cardall

Hippodrome to unveil extracts from new musicals

5 February 2025

Birmingham Hippodrome is inviting audiences to experience a “snippet” of six musical theatre projects in development at its first new musicals showcase.

“Consistently investing in local artists”: Nottingham Playhouse artist development producer Beccy D’Souza

Artists to get more opportunities to share their work

14 January 2025

Nottingham Playhouse’s Amplify artist development programme is to increase the number of opportunities for Midlands artists to share their work.

Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize

STR Theatre Book Prize announces judges

26 November 2024

The panel for the 2025 The Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize has been announced.

James Westphal and Jerome Yates in Driftwood by former Pentabus Young Writer Tim Foley which toured in 2023

Applications open for Pentabus scriptwriting course

2 November 2024

Shropshire-based rural theatre company Pentabus's six-month scriptwriting course is for anyone aged between 16 and 30.

“Thrilled”: Zoe Cooper

Cooper and Pringle named RSC writers-in-residence

11 October 2024

Zoe Cooper and Stewart Pringle will develop their own writing and lead the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new works team.

A workshop in progress at the Three Counties Talent Hub

New competition for writers in three counties

24 September 2024

Two Midlands theatres are collaborating on a new competition for writers in Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2025

Bruntwood judging panel announced

20 September 2024

"Europe's biggest playwriting competition" has opened submissions for its 20th anniversary prize with a prize pot of £50,000.

Offbeat comedy: The Day I Got The Horn

Northampton venue generates new-work festival

11 September 2024

Royal and Derngate is to stage its fifth GenFest, part of the venue’s Generate artist development programme, featuring showcases, new writing and workshops.

Creating a new play: the group will contain up to 15 writers

New playwriting group for the East Midlands

5 September 2024

New-writing company Fifth Word has set up Fifth Word Playwrights, a free playwriting group for people living in or with a strong connection to the East Midlands.

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