Courses and services on the art of Writing for Theatre
WRITE THEATRE delivers unique, intensive courses and advice for emerging theatre writers.
WRITE THEATRE is run by established playwrights.
THE COURSES
We believe that the writing of plays is a flexible and an organic process, not something that can be taught through the rigid application of rules or application of templates. And it is through this organic process that the writer finds his or her voice. Our aim in our WRITE THEATRE courses, and the through the script appraisal and mentoring we offer, is to enable you to find a process that works for you, and to offer detailed, specific and focused suggestions as to how to develop your work.
The last in-person course we ran was at The Cockpit in May / June 2021, and was a great success. Testimonials from those who have attended Write Theatre courses can be found on our Testimonials page.
We have no courses scheduled at the moment, but if you would like to take part in one, or are interested in any of the playwriting services we offer please contact us.
Script Appraisal and Mentoring Services
We now offer an appraisal service for your script – anything from a first draft to work in a later stage of development. For more details of this and the mentoring service we offer please go to SCRIPT APPRAISAL and MENTORING SERVICE
Actors workshopping a script during the second weekend of an in-person course
A selection of
TESTIMONIALS
from writers who have participated in Write Theatre courses
For many other testimonials, and to see the full text of all the following, go to the TESTIMONIALS page.
“I came into this course a keen writer but with no experience in theatre writing and it was the most perfect entry point I could have asked for… Time flew each week as we had a great balance of on screen conversations, independent or group tasks and activities and comfort breaks. I particularly enjoyed being pushed to write new material in between each session and having a chance to have that reviewed and analysed by a real pro!” Zahra Dalilah July 2020
“The Writing Theatre course with Rib was a fabulous experience and I think the migration to an online format worked seamlessly. As there were fewer students it allowed for greater intimacy and more time workshopping and analysing student writing… Finally I should add that the course is a lot of fun. I got used to spending my Saturday mornings in a virtual classroom and was quite sad that it came to an end…” Shola Asante July 2020
“Brian and Rib’s wonderful course… is so good because it’s intensive. It forces you (in the most pleasant and interesting ways possible) to consider why you’re writing, what you’re doing with your idea, and how you’re going to get there. A great investment and a whole lot of fun.” Ellie Ross. May 2018
“… have just finished the second Write Theatre weekend… incredibly enlightening … very practical … lots of constructive feedback… Highly recommended.” Rachael Forrest May 2018
“I am just sitting down to continue work on my play buzzing with all the ideas and possibilities for the writing that were generated by the Write Theatre weekends. … I left feeling inspired and very grateful for the time and energy you both put into all of us and our writing.” Kass Boucher May 2018
“Working with Brian and Rib gave me many genuine breakthrough moments… A fantastic course for all emerging playwrights.” Poppy Holman May 2018

Working through script details
“Whether you’re an experienced writer or complete beginner, this is a course that inspires and galvanises at every level… An extraordinarily creative course, a joy to be on – thank you.” Ruth Padel. October 2016
“An intelligent, incisive, supportive , forgiving and releasing writing environment… Demystifies the process and brings it down to very simple basics. Very constructively challenging… opened up views and insights on my writing that were an inspiration and which gave me courage… A rare and mindful environment for creativity and work and crucially no egos – just intelligence, collaboration and support. Excellent. Thank you!” Elizabeth Kelly. October 2017.
‘… one of the best courses I have ever attended! Brian and Rib are both so supportive and knowledgeable and they create a safe space for everyone to learn together whether creating character, dialogue or writing a full length scene…. The course is very practical … (and) very intense and they pack a lot in… I now feel inspired to go away and write my first play and feel confident I have the tools to give it a go!” Jamie Phillips. October 2017.
“One of the richest, most generous learning experiences I’ve ever had. I cannot recommend this course enough.” Rebecca Lee. May 2017
“Writing courses can often over promise, under deliver and charge you more than they are really worth. With Brian and Rib’s Write Theatre course, it’s the other way round. I highly recommend taking the Write Theatre course.” Jon Reed. May 2017
“I haven’t felt that engaged in anything for a long, long time. I feel as though you’ve saved me about 20 years. Just so much fun. Thank you!” Sass Clyde. May 2017
“I enjoyed it on so many fronts – the sheer joy of having a fresh slant on plot and character, your teaching styles and the camaraderie…” Katharine McMahon. May 2016.
“The best writing course I have ever done… Overall, I found the course hugely empowering. I left after four days and actually felt that I could write!” Justin Joseph, November 2015
“What a wonderful experience … Pure magic! Thank you, Brian and Rib, for being such inspiring teachers. The creative juices are still flowing …” Robin Lustig, November 2015
“By the end of the fortnight you’ve moved to places you didn’t know were there, let alone could get to!” Marina Jenkyns, November 2015
“I cannot recommend this course highly enough… what surprised me was how changed I felt at the end of it… Brian and Rib are excellent teachers. They are generous, thoughtful, engaged, and intelligent, and they create a really supportive learning environment.”
Caroline Doherty de Novoa, November 2015
“It’s hard to imagine how such a short course (or indeed any length of course) could be more instructive, productive and enriching than this one…. Thrilling and energising.”
Judith Ramm, May 2015
“Hard work; great fun; transformational; how magic happens. This is the writing community I’ve been searching for.” Lindsey Armstrong, June 2014
“It took a while to sink in just how visionary a concept your Write Theatre course actually was… experienc(ing) for ourselves how the exploration of a scene between writer, director and actors really works. What a rare treat”. Helen Toft, November 2013
For many other testimonials, and to see the full text of all the above, go to the TESTIMONIALS page

Workshop with actors