Theatres for writers

Richard Bevan talks to the people responsible for new writing at the Hampstead and Soho theatres.

The increasingly risk-averse culture among British broadcasters and the prescriptive parameters they appear to want to impose on TV drama can be incredibly frustrating for storytellers who believe they have something original to say.

Theatre, however, is an arena where a writer with a passion for a particular subject and personal take on society can see their work come to fruition and brought to life. Two theatres in the country that strive to encourage writers and especially new writing are the Hampstead Theatre and the Soho Theatre in London. 

For over 40 years Hampstead Theatre has been the proving ground where 'interesting voices' transform themselves into important young writers. In the past Pam Gems, David Hare, Stephen Jeffreys, Mike Leigh and Harold Pinter have all had breakthrough plays produced there. Now housed in a spanking new and beautifully designed building – conveniently opposite one of the world’s most prestigious drama schools- Hampstead Theatre is one of the few theatrical institutions that sets out to nurture playwriting and provide appropriate resources to develop talent.   

I spoke to Frances Stirk, Literary Director at Hampstead theatre, about the process for discovering new talent.

RB: Can writers submit scripts to you without an agent?

FS: We do accept unsolicited scripts for submission although there’s a huge volume of material as we get around 1500 plays a year. To deal with that we’ve got a reading team of about nine freelance script readers - writers, actors and directors who are associated with the theatre - who write a report on the plays.

RB: Even if a play is something that you are not interested in, will the writer still receive a report?

FS: Yes, we try and feed back as much to the writers as we can and where we think a particular writer is.

RB: And if a writer is lucky enough to hit the mark with a play what happens then?

FS: The readers will recommend plays for secondary reading. If they think that it’s a play that we might want to do here at Hampstead - or that it’s a writer we should be keeping an eye on - then I’ll read the play. I’ll get the writer in and have an informal coffee with them and talk about the different opportunities at Hampstead.

RB: How many writers do you commission on average?

FS: We only commission about eight writers a year. We’ve got eighteen on commission at the moment, some of which go back to 2004. But the bulk have been commissioned within a year.

RB: Do you sometimes commission plays from treatments and other sources?

FS:  We expect all writers to put something on paper so that we can actually commission a specific idea. We do accept treatments from a wide range of writers but we’ll only go forward with such ideas if they’re from writers whose work we’re familiar with. Occasionally we get spec TV and radio scripts from writers who then forward play treatments but it’s unlikely they’ll get a commitment off the back of that. Generally if we don’t know you we have to read a play.

RB: How does the nurturing process work?

FS: If we’ve engaged strongly with the work of a particular writer but are not yet in a position to offer them a commission, we try to make sure they feel welcome at the theatre. We invite them to see all the work we produce here and to mix with writers we currently have under commission as well as writers who have been produced at the theatre in the past.

It’s important to us that these writers feel they are involved in a dialogue which allows them to regularly update us with their progress and projects they’re developing or would like to develop, which in turn enables us to ensure each writer is considered for projects and initiatives we are running at any given time. For example, we have a really active education dept at Hampstead and we’re able to support writers whose work we admire by inviting them to work with the Education Department writing for the theatre’s fantastic Youth Theatre as well as other community groups’

Start Nights

Another opportunity Frances pointed out that may be of great interest to burgeoning writers, actors or directors is Hampstead’s monthly Start Nights. This is a chance for writers and actors to submit and try out new material in front of an audience.

Soho Theatre

Like Hampstead, the Soho Theatre in the heart of the West End is committed to seeking out and nurturing new talent that comes from a broad background. Its in-house Writers’ Centre is designed to help writers work not only in theatre but also in film, television and radio. Not only do they reads scripts and develop and produce submitted work, but their Writers’ Centre offers a comprehensive range of programmes and resources, open to writers from the earliest stages of their career, as well as Community and Educational programmes that encourage young people to write for performance.       

I spoke to Rachel Taylor, Literary Assistant at the Writers’ Centre.

RB: What’s the role of the Writers’ Centre at Soho Theatre?

RT: We’re primarily concerned with developing and nurturing new work, which not only feeds our main stage productions but also allows us to provide opportunities and outlets for writers. We provide resources for playwrights at various different levels. We have a script reading service and script library, writers’ rooms, workshops and seminars that are open to all, monthly Launch Pad readings where new work is showcased, and we also have short-term residencies and a year-long attachment scheme.

RB: If you spot a particular talent what kind of schemes can a writer get involved with that will help develop their work? 

RT: The Writers’ Centre focuses on working with the writer to help them produce the best, most exciting and challenging work possible while developing their individual voice. The STARTS (Short Term Attachment, Residency and Training Scheme) initiative provides writers with seed commissions and individualised support to help develop first drafts of new plays and re-drafts of existing work, and it encourages playwrights to specify targets for development in one-to-one dramaturgical sessions while offering access to all the resources available in the Writers’ Centre.  The scheme offers a hands-on approach to welcoming new writers into the building for playwrights for whom a full commission or a longer attachment may not be suitable.

For the year long attachment six writers are selected to work with Soho over three ten-week terms. The attachment writers receive a commission for a new play and over the course of the year these are developed for production. Attached writers are also exposed to a variety of mediums with practical classes and tutorials on TV, Radio and Film and this includes a writing retreat, several short-term in-house productions opportunities and a collaboration with the National Film and Television School.

RB: What’s the best way for a new writer to get noticed and helped in the first place?

RT: The best way is for a writer to send in their work to our Script Reading Service, as this is the first point of contact with writers.  From this initial contact we can find the most appropriate way of working with them. We don’t read radio or TV scripts, so it has to be a play for the stage. 

RB: It’s a pity that a writer can’t submit a good ‘calling card’ TV or radio script

RT: We have to read over 2,000 plays a year so if we took on radio and TV manuscripts that would really increase the workload and delay our response time, which is currently about three months and the depth of the reports we send out on every script received.  Beyond that, we’re really looking for writers who have a profoundly theatrical vision and sensibility so unfortunately we have to be quite rigid with that.

RB: What would you say is unique about the Writers’ Centre compared to other theatrical institutions?

RT: We not only commission and present a variety of new work on the Main Stage but also identify writers a multi-tiered development process that will help them move their writing onto the next level. If a writer’s work is interesting and exciting we want to try and work with them in some way – and having the resources to work with writers through a variety of different channels feels unique!  Also, we offer emerging playwrights a place to try out new ideas, to gain access to actors, directors and most importantly, a community of other writers.

RB: And you have the means to help writers get out of their hovels, away from domestic distractions and just get on with writing.

RT: Yes, apart from workshops and readings we also offer writers the chance to come in and use facilities to write. Writers’ rooms are open to the public. Anyone is welcome to come in and use this resource, which are little offices with a PC, printer and Internet access - it can help writers get out of their garret and into a working theatre! Another good way for writers to get involved is through our Launch Pad reading of a new play which happens every month; these readings are open to the public and are a great way for writers to come to Soho and engage with new work.

Call to arms

Perhaps Hampstead Theatre’s very own advice to future playwrights who want to make a difference to the live, theatrical experience is best summed up on its website. It’s a succinct reminder why theatre is such a powerful medium for drama with little equal.

‘We believe that new plays can test the temper of the times and sharpen our engagement with new ideas and world events. We need writers who can help us think more deeply, who can tell us why we love, why we hate, why we make love and why we go to war’