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Dates
This course has now passed. Please continue to check our website for 2024 dates.Â
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Times
This is a three-day course which will run from 09:30 to 16:30 each day.
Overview
The Introduction to Playwriting short course is designed as a fast-paced introduction to the craft of writing for live performance. Whether you’ve already had a go at writing a play or you are just looking to build the confidence to put pen to paper, this course can support you in your development as a writer.Â
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School offers a fun and nurturing environment in which to pursue your creative ambitions. The School is a world leader in drama writing training, and the support available from your tutors will help you develop your natural talents and confidence in playwriting.
The dates for this course have now passed. You can sign up to our mailing list to hear about upcoming short courses.
Highlights
• Gain grounding in the fundamentals of playwriting: dramatic action, character, dialogue, location and structure;
• Develop ideas by looking at the world around you for inspiration and participating in group exercises and discussions;
• Learn about the collaborative process of bringing a performance to life and listen to your writing be performed by acting students at a round-table reading;
• Nurture your skills and build your confidence in a group setting with support from course tutors and other students.
This is a full-time, three-day course, running from 09:30 to 16:30. This course is taught in our writing facilities at Downside Road.
FAQs
What do I need to bring?
A notebook, a pen or a laptop – whatever you would like to write on.
Is this course for me?
This course is a fast-paced introduction to the craft of writing plays and suitable for those with interest in theatre and writing for live performance. If you want to write lots, share ideas, learn in a group setting and get guidance from professionals on the craft of writing for theatre, this short course is a perfect fit for you.
About the Course Leader
Silva Semerciyan is an award-winning playwright and lecturer in Drama at Bath Spa University. She has taught playwriting for the Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School, Papatango, Theatre 503, and is currently a playwright mentor for National Theatre’s New Views programme. Her play, I and the Village, premiered at Theatre 503 in 2015 and was a finalist for the Bruntwood Prize and an Offie Award for best new play. Her other plays include Witches Can’t Be Burned (National Theatre Connections); Another Man’s Son (National Theatre Studio; winner of the William Saroyan Prize); A Quest for Arthur (National Theatre’s Lets Play Series); The Light Burns Blue (Tonic Theatre); Under a Cardboard Sea, The Window, and The Tinderbox (Bristol Old Vic Theatre); Flashes (Young Vic Theatre); and Gather Ye Rosebuds (Winner, Best New Play, Brighton Fringe Festival). Her first radio play, Varanasi, was shortlisted for a BBC audio drama award. She holds an MPhil in Playwriting from The University of Birmingham and is soon to complete a Creative Critical PhD in playwriting at the University of East Anglia.
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Short Courses Refund Policy
If you wish to cancel your place on the course, you will receive a full refund if you notify the school at least 7 days prior to the start of the course. For cancellations, contact [email protected]
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Short Course Cancellation Policy
We will make all reasonable efforts to deliver a short course as outlined on our site and in any brochure or published material. However, we reserve the right to cancel a short course in case of events outside our control or if the course fails to meet a minimum number of participants. In the event that we cancel a course, we will inform participants who have booked a place via email at least 7 days prior to the start date. We will also provide a full refund of the course fee paid. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School cannot be held responsible for any expenses you incur due to such a cancellation.
- Policies and Procedures
