Theatre Royal Plymouth announces its participation in Graeae's Write To Play

Theatre Royal Plymouth is pleased to announce its participation in Graeae’s renowned Write To Play. The programme, now in its sixth year, is working in partnership with six theatres across South West England to offer a unique opportunity for D/deaf and disabled writers.

Write to Play is a bold new writing initiative committed to developing the skills and experience of D/deaf and disabled writers. Over the course of one year, five writers will each write and develop a full-length play through collaboration with some of the most creative minds in the industry.

Applications for year six are now open, closing on 3 September 2018 and are open to people who identify as D/deaf and/or disabled living in South West England and with some experience of writing for theatre.

Simon Stokes, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Plymouth said “We are excited to be working with our friends at Graeae on Write to Play this year. It’s a project of great reach and invention and is just what the South West needs in uncovering yet more new and diverse artists. Theatre Royal Plymouth has been engaged in the finding of new relationships and the producing of new theatre for two decades now and we’re so much looking forward to tapping into the wider experience and enthusiasm that Graeae can provide along with our partner theatres in this great initiative.”

The first five years of Write to Play have developed the skills of twenty-five playwrights, many of whom have gone on to have work produced professionally. In August 2017, Graeae and the Royal Exchange Theatre produced for the first time a full length play from a Write to Play graduate. Cosmic Scallies by Jackie Hagan (from year 2 of the programme) premiered a the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017, followed by a run at the Royal Exchange

Theatre, Manchester. Both runs played to sell-out houses, 4-star reviews and audience acclaim.

Year five of the programme, for D/deaf and disabled writers of colour, is currently in session, in partnership with the Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre, Ovalhouse, Talawa and Tamasha. The writers are Leanna Benjamin, Lettie Precious, Shahid Iqbal Khan, Charlotte Maxwell and Kathryn Golding.


The year-long Write to Play programme includes Playwriting 101 (an intensive craft-focussed playwriting course), specialist workshops, mentoring sessions and opportunities to have short pieces of work performed in front of an audience. The programme will not only provide the writers with the opportunity to develop their skills, it will also introduce a new generation of D/deaf and disabled playwrights to the wider theatre landscape.

The six theatres in South West England working in partnership with Graeae on the programme are Theatre Royal Plymouth, Bristol Old Vic, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Wiltshire Creative and Ustinov Studio at Theatre Royal Bath.

The successful writers on the sixth year of the programme will be announced in late October 2018.

The Write to Play programme (incorporating Play Labs and Play Chats) is funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Arts Council England and Backstage Trust.