Playwrights' Programme - Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres

Our long-established Playwrights’ Programme is part of our mission to nurture, empower and champion the next generation of writers in Liverpool.

It’s a free, ten-month programme led by our New Works Associate, and offers a mixture of facilitated and peer-directed sessions, masterclasses with experienced playwrights, and watching performances – whilst supporting you to complete a draft of a new full-length play.

What we do

The Playwrights’ Programme is an opportunity to:

develop your playwriting craft, with sessions tailored to the interests of the group (e.g. structure, form and politics, world-building)
read, analyse and discuss a broad range of scripts – from contemporary classics to the most urgent, innovative work being staged today
build a close peer-group of playwrights, to share and read work, and give/receive constructive feedback
write a new, full-length play with ongoing dramaturgical support from the Everyman & Playhouse team

You’ll also:

• attend masterclasses with leading artists
• work with professional directors and actors
• learn about reading processes for open submissions and playwriting prizes
• have access to our script library
• get to see Everyman & Playhouse productions for £5 (or less!).

Who it’s for

We look for writers who:

live in Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral), and are exploring themes and topics that speak to our communities here
have an existing practice as a writer for performance, and a strong artistic identity which chimes with the Everyman’s creative aims
would be supported in their artistic development by participating in this Programme.

We don’t ask for a particular experience level, and are guided by samples of work, but you might have done some of the following:

written short, fringe- and/or full-length plays
had your work produced in professional, educational or community contexts
participated in scratch nights
written for other performance types (e.g. TV, film, radio or spoken word)
worked in other areas of theatre (e.g. as an actor).

Applicants must be over 18.

Doing this course challenged and developed me as a playwright in many different ways, and I'd recommend it to any writer who wants to take their script writing to the next level.

Naomi Sumner Chan (Shortlist, Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2021)

How to apply

Applications are now closed and will re-open in Autumn 2025.

Application is via an online form, with three short questions to answer either in writing or via video or audio file.

Our questions are designed to find out about:

your experience as a writer
your interests and values
why you’re applying for the Playwrights’ Programme.

We also ask for an example of your writing that you feel best represents you.

It doesn’t have to be a play (you might previously have written for screen, for example), but we always consider how the writing demonstrates an aptitude for the needs of live performance (e.g. active dialogue, rich characterisation, etc.).

We read up to 20 pages of each script.