In the recent Jenny Lee Lecture, Indhu Rubasingham (Artistic Director at the National Theatre) spoke with great clarity and conviction about the responsibility theatres have to champion new writing. Her message was simple but powerful: that we must support artists with bold ideas, take creative risks, and trust audiences to embrace the unfamiliar. A theme echoed this week by playwright James Graham too, in his own reflections on the value of bold storytelling.

It’s a rallying cry that feels very close to home. At the Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, new writing isn’t just part of what we do, it’s part of who we are. It’s about creating the right conditions for artists to experiment, ask difficult questions, try new forms and reflect the world around us.

It’s an ambition visible in our programme with eleven new plays by writers from or based in Liverpool City Region over the last four years, enjoyed by over 24,000 across 138 performances; including Cherry Jezebel by Jonathan Larkin, Corrina, Corrina by Chloe Moss, Our Town Needs a Nandos by Smanatha O’Rourke, A Billion Times I Love You by Patrick Maguire, Cuckoo by Michael Wynne, High Times and Dirty Monsters by Keith Saha, The Legend of Ned Ludd by Joe Ward Munrow, Tell Me How It Ends by Tasha Dowd, Takeaway by Nathan Powell and The Walrus Has A Right To Adventure by Billie Collins.

These productions share a belief that theatre should feel alive: responsive to the present moment, curious, generous and, at times, gloriously unpredictable.

Indhu also reminded us that taking risks isn’t an act of recklessness; it is an act of trust. And trust requires balance.

For us, that balance comes from a careful interplay between adventurous new work and the financial stability offered by classics, major revivals, visiting shows and the rock ‘n’ roll panto. These cornerstone productions help generate the resources needed to take artistic leaps elsewhere in the programme. They allow us to invest in emerging writers, to commission new stories, and to lower barriers for audiences with affordable ticket prices — something that has brought many first-time visitors through our doors in recent years.

One of the most significant developments in our approach to new writing has been the evolution of our short format strand at the Everyman. Since 2022, this programme has created a space where emerging and early career artists can explore new ideas and new ways of working.

With shorter runs (typically around ten performances) and investment scaled to match, these productions mitigate the financial risks of producing new work at a time of reduced arts funding. Yet the artistic value can be huge: the director (Nathan Crossan-Smith) and designer (Chloe Wynn) of The Walrus Has A Right To Adventure were both nominated for The Stage Debut Awards 2025, demonstrating the national impact of work born inside this framework.

Short format has also created vital development pathways for local talent. Graduates of Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) and early career theatre makers from the Liverpool City Region are gaining real creative opportunities, not in theory, but on our stage, in front of audiences.

Short format sits alongside our annual Playwrights Programme, open‑application Seed Commissions and Open Script Submissions with guaranteed feedback. Together, they form a key part of how we nurture the artists who will shape theatre’s future. It offers a bridge between early development and full-scale production, strengthened by our partnerships with Associate Companies – 20 Stories High, Cardboard Citizens, Graeae, Homotopia, New Earth and Talawa – which ensure creatives have the networks and opportunities to develop their practice.

We have a physical representation of our promise to support too, with a dedicated Writers Room at the Everyman; a free‑to‑access creative space for meeting, mentoring and giving plays their first table read. It’s a genuinely collaborative environment — a place designed for ideas to spark and scripts to grow — complete with a growing library of hundreds of plays and books on theatre‑making to discover, explore and inspire.

Our theatres have long supported new writing, from the early careers of Jonathan Harvey, Willy Russell and Heidi Thomas, to championing the writers shaping stage and TV today; including Chloe Moss, Lizzie Nunnery, Jamie Carragher, Jonathan Larkin and most recently, Jade Franks who was writing her hit show Eat the Rich whilst on the Playwrights Programme and will perform it in the Everyman this year. That legacy grows through our YEP Writers Programme, a space where emerging playwrights can experiment, be challenged and discover what their writing can truly do. The annual writers’ showcase has become a highlight of the building’s creative life — a celebration of courage, craft and the unforgettable moment when a writer hears their words spoken aloud for the first time.

In the coming months, our commitment to new writing continues. In May, we stage The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, a provocative and imaginative new piece adapted from Hilary Mantel’s short story by the George Devine Award-winning playwright Alexandra Wood, set to spark conversations locally and nationally in these political turbulent times. In June, we stage our fifth short format with Attachment by Julia Cranney and directed by Kate Treadell (both graduates of YEP). Both pieces continue our commitment to telling stories that are fresh, challenging, and deeply human.

As both Indhu and James have so powerfully articulated, new writing is where the future of theatre is forged. It asks us to listen differently, to look differently, to imagine differently. It challenges us to take risks — not blindly, but bravely, and with care. At the Everyman & Playhouse, we’ll continue to champion new stories because they expand who we are — and who we can become.

Nathan Powell, Creative Director

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