Overview

Weekly acting classes for LGBTQIA+ people at The Two Brewers, Clapham. Mondays: 6:30–10pm with award-winning theatre director, Andrew Keates

Queer Theatre invites you to join our weekly acting classes for LGBTQIA+ people, held every Monday from 7pm to 10m at the iconic queer venue, The Two Brewers in Clapham. Led by award-winning theatre director Andrew Keates, our classes welcome LGBTQIA+ people of all acting abilities, from seasoned professionals to enthusiastic beginners. What matters most to us, is building a queer community of performers in a place where we can play and grow together.

What To Expect:

Our acting classes serve as a queer theatre lab, a safe and creative space where LGBTQ+ theatre-makers can come together to:

Hone Acting and Performance Skills: Learn about performance styles and acting techniques.

Explore Through Play: Participate in creative improvisation games and exercises designed to foster self-discovery and collaborative play.

Delve into LGBTQ+ Material: Work with scripts, themes and devise work that reflects LGBTQIA+ people, experiences and themes.

Build a Supportive Network: Make friends and join a nurturing community that supports your artistic and personal growth.

Discover Opportunities: Gain access to Queer Theatre's array of events, such as our Queer Play Reading Club, Queer Variety Night, trips, social events and networking opportunities.

Industry Showcase: We dedicate several months a year to preparing our acting class students to perform in our OutCast showcases of queer actors and writing. We invite friends, loved ones and people from the performing arts industry such as agents and casting directors to see our work and many have received agent representation and professional opportunities as actors and writers.

Writing West Midlands is once again teaming up with Birmingham Libraries to recruit the next two Poets Laureate for 2026-28: 

• The Birmingham Poet Laureate must be over 18 on 1 October 2026 
• The Birmingham Young Poet Laureate must be over 12 and under 18 on 1 October 2026 

The Birmingham Poet Laureate and Birmingham Young Poet Laureate are honorary posts appointed by Birmingham Libraries and Writing West Midlands. 

The successful candidates should be residents of Birmingham, or work or study in the city, and will be able to show their commitment to writing and sharing their poetry. They should be comfortable with the idea of sharing with an audience and speaking about their work. They will be expected to be an ambassador for the city of Birmingham and its many communities and areas. 

The Birmingham Poet Laureate and Birmingham Young Poet Laureate are asked to undertake a small number of honorary duties during their tenure, including writing poems to commemorate significant moments. They will be expected to share their work at events and to encourage an interest in poetry across the city. We are particularly keen that the Poets Laureate use their work to encourage people to engage with the city’s public libraries.  

While the posts are honorary and the roles are voluntary, payments are sometimes made for work that is particularly time consuming. The adult Poet Laureate in particular will be supported by Writing West Midlands to develop their creative work.  

The position of Birmingham Poet Laureate was the UK’s first ‘city laureate’, with the first appointment being made in 1998. In 2005, the position of Birmingham Young Poet Laureate was set up.

In-person interviews for both posts will take place on Saturday 19th September 2026 (Adult post in the morning, Young post in the afternoon). Interviews will take place in central Birmingham. An appointment event will take place on Sunday 11th October 2026.  

Monologue Bootcamp, runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, prepares future Drama School applicants for the audition process, equipping them with the skills to choose, interpret and deliver a monologue.

Monologue Bootcamp prepares potential Drama School applicants for the competitive audition process, through a series of workshops to help participants research, interpret and deliver a monologue.

It runs in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, and is free for participants.

Workshops include:

• Where to look, how contrasting is contrasting and other monologue mysteries
• Bringing voice and movement to your monologues
• Modern plays and contemporary monologues
• Demystifying classical monologues
• Solo prep for solo text
• Self-tape skills
• Auditioning and student life at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Leeds Conservatoire

Applicants must:

• Be seriously considering applying to Drama School for September 2026 entry.
• Be aged 17+ at the time of the course (please note that if you are currently in year 12 and will turn 17 in August 2026 you may still apply, even if this means you are 16 when the course takes place)
• Be UK-domiciled.
• Have no previous experience of Higher Education.
• Be available for all sessions.
• Be state-educated, or have been state-educated if they are no longer in secondary education.

Applicants should also meet one of the following criteria:

• Live in a household which receives Universal Credit OR which has an income of under £35k*
• Live in a household with an income between £35,001 - £43,000 and have a Greater London postcode*
• Be in receipt of Free School Meals OR in receipt of a 16-19 bursary via their school or college.*
• Have a home postcode classed as decile 1-4 in the IMD dataset (column ‘F’ in downloadable file, or email access@gsmd.ac.uk to check)
• Identify as Black, Asian or ethnically diverse.
• Live in care, be a recent care leaver or care experienced within the last 5 years OR estranged from their family.*
• Have a disability.*

If you have previously participated in Monologue Bootcamp you are not eligible to apply for it again.

*evidence for these criteria will be required with your application.

To Apply

Please fill out this form

Deadline to apply for this programme is Friday 31st June 2026. 

A UK-wide free training programme for ages 18–30

Dive into the world of theatre-making and shape the future of theatre with OV Theatre Makers, a free, six-month training programme.

With the support of director Joseph Hancock and leading professional theatre makers, you’ll explore contemporary theatre-making practices to provide you with a toolkit of skills to begin developing your own work and career. Developing a broad range of theatre making skills from writing and devising to directing and producing you will then have the chance to showcase your work in a Scratch Night at a professional theatre venue.

Travel to London will be required and we’re able to support with costs if needed.

The programme will include:

• A welcome day to get to know each other and the OV Theatre Makers team   
• 13 masterclass days, Oct 2026–Feb 2027, led by director Joseph Hancock and guest practitioners from a range of theatre disciplines, such as writing, directing and producing. Previous guests include poet and playwright Inua Ellams, director Lyndsey Turner and West End producer Ameena Hamid
• A Scratch Night showcasing participants’ work presented at the Studio at The Old Vic     
• Bespoke workshops on networking, freelancing, how to pitch, collaboration and sustainability  
• A theatre ticket allowance  
• Tickets to two Old Vic productions 
• Support with travel costs for the duration of the project if required 
• Guidance and support from the OV Theatre Makers team and opportunities to meet OV Theatre Makers alumni
• The opportunity to join our Emerging Theatre Professionals (ETP) network, which allows you to stay connected to The Old Vic through a variety of free workshops, networking events and tickets to see Old Vic productions. 

Mountview is currently the only UK drama school to offer Directing, Dramatic Writing and Producing as three distinct, specialised pathways within a single, unified Creative Practice MA framework. The course is designed for multi-hyphenate practitioners who are excited by collaboration and meeting the demands of the twenty-first century creative industries. 

By bringing directors, writers and producers into one ecosystem, the course mirrors the professional world by fostering creative partnerships through shared engagement with modes of collaboration, creative enterprise, dramatic structures and critical contexts. 

Students on the Dramatic Writing pathway develop an in-depth knowledge of dramatic structures and the core competencies for writing across different forms and styles. The course develops an understanding and critical awareness of current practice through engagement with industry practitioners and academics. You will be mentored by award-winning playwright Roy Williams OBE (Death of England National Theatre, Sucker Punch Royal Court), who oversees aspects of the course as Distinguished Visiting Artist.  

The course concludes with the opportunity to put your learning into practice through the staging of a public facing, fully-realised festival of new work. VIEW Festival allows students to develop their pathway specific skills while also collaborating closely with the Producing, Directing and Performance students. 

Our MA Creative Practice graduates leave with an established network of industry contacts and prepared for high-impact careers as Playwrights, Screenwriters, Dramaturgs, Directors, Creative Leaders, Theatre Makers, Artistic Directors, Commercial and Independent Producers and Venue Leaders.

STAFF AND PRACTITIONERS

The Creative Practice teaching team is led by Hamish Pirie and Dawn Ingleson as Joint Course Leaders, alongside Roy Williams as Distinguished Visiting Artist. Dawn worked extensively at the National Theatre as a creative producer and has also taught at LSBU, while Hamish’s directing credits include work at the Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse, Paines Plough and Traverse Theatre. Roy is a multi-award winning writer whose credits include Death of England: The Plays (National Theatre), The Lonely Londoners (Kiln and Jermyn Street Theatre) and Sucker Punch (Royal Court, Olivier Award nomination). 

In addition to working alongside the core teaching team, MA Creative Practice students also benefit from industry masterclasses specific to their pathway, led by the world’s most prestigious creative powerhouses. Recent MA Creative Practice sessions have featured: 

• Morgan Lloyd Malcolm Olivier Award-winning writer of Emilia (Shakespeare’s Globe, West End); writer/creator of Obsession (Netflix)  
• Sami Ibrahim Award-winning writer of Two Palestinians Go Dogging (Royal Court) 
• Leo Butler Living (Sheffield Theatres); former Playwriting Tutor for the Royal Court Theatre’s Young Writers’ Programme 
• Yasmin Joseph Writer of J’Ouvert (James Tait Black Prize winner) and A Thousand Blows (Hulu/Disney+) 
• Emma Dennis Edwards Writer of NOT YOUR SUPERWOMAN (Bush Theatre); Consent (Channel 4) 
• Deborah Pearson Writer of The Talent (Battersea Arts Centre) 

Interested in studying a performing arts subject at university in 2027?

A three-day residential summer school
28th - 30th July 2026

Engage in a taste of first year life. Experience student accommodation. Explore LIPA and Liverpool. GET SET to take the next step.

What do you do on Get Set?

• Engage in practical skill-building workshops in your chosen area from Acting, Dance, Music, Musical Theatre, Theatre Design/Production.
• Gain insights into the application process for university and student finance.
• Prepare for auditions and interviews, through our information sessions and mock auditions/interviews with helpful feedback.

Is Get Set for you?

This summer school is for students who are currently in Year 12 or equivalent and will be under the age of 18 at the end of July 2026. To join us you must also meet one of the following eligibility criteria:

• Live in a postcode where participation in higher education has traditionally been low (use our online postcode checker below to see if you are eligible)
• Be Black, Asian or from an ethnically diverse background
• Be in local authority care or have previous experience of being in care

Illuminate Drama Teacher CPD Day is back for its fifth year on the South Coast!

Join us in person for a full day of inspiring workshops, featuring exciting opportunities to meet and talk with theatre education specialists, industry professionals, and fellow drama teachers.

This year we will have three workshops throughout the day that will each take a deep dive into different practices over the course of two hours. You will get to partake in all the following workshops:

• Explore movement, rhythm, space, chorus and the ensemble in the context of teaching Complicité’s approaches to devising. You will encounter games and practical exercises that have grown from Complicité’s rehearsal room, which you will be able to bring back to your work with your students.
• Hop, Skip and a Jump is a practical session which reflects the practices used by Kneehigh when making work. Delivered by Mike Shepherd, actor, director, teacher and founder of Kneehigh. “Ideas are everywhere – I don’t judge them as good, bad or indifferent – I like to take them for a hop, skip and a jump.”
• Join Olivier Award-nominated theatre company Les Enfants Terribles for a found object design and manipulation workshop on puppetry in the classroom. Using everyday objects, you’ll explore design elements and construction techniques, followed by a practical puppetry skills workshop resulting in the animation of your found object puppet.

Workshops will take place across both of our venues: Mayflower Theatre and Mayflower Studios.

There will also be the exclusive opportunity to see Blood Brothers at Mayflower Theatre for an additional £20 to round off a theatrical and inspiring day!

Please note spaces are limited and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Payment must be made before Friday 19 December 2026 otherwise your place will be released.

A chance to spend a  few days exploring drama at the Unity, meet new friends, enjoy games, creating characters, puppetry and more with brilliant practitioners. All abilities welcome.

AGES: 9-12 YEAR OLDS

WHEN: 27 & 28TH JULY | 10.30 -4pm

WHERE: Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, L1 9BG

Week 1 of Summer:

Jersey Week 1 (8-21years): Tuesday 21st July - Sunday 26th 2026

Week 2 of Summer:

Jersey Week 2 (8-21years): Tuesday 28th - Sunday 2nd August 2026

Brighton Week 1 (Year 3-13): Tuesday 28th - Sunday 2nd August 2026

Brighton Weeny Week 1 (Reception to Year 12): Wednesday 29th July - Sunday 2nd August 2026

Week 3 of Summer:

Brighton Week 2 (Year 3-13): Tuesday 4th August - Sunday 9th August 2026

Brighton Weeny Week 2 (Reception- Year 2): Wednesday 5th August - Sunday 9th August 2026

Birmingham (Year 3- Year 13): Tuesday 4th August - Saturday 8th August 2026

Birmingham Weeny (Reception- Year 12): Wednesday 5th August - Saturday 8th August 2026

Week 4 of Summer:

Watford Summer School (7- 18years): Monday 10th August - Friday 14th August 2026

Watford Weeny Summer School (4-6years): Tuesday 11th August - Friday 14th August 2026

Week 5 of summer:

Saffron Walden (Year 3- 11): Monday 17th August - Saturday 21st August 2026

Mercury Essex Playwrights Award, a major new initiative designed to champion both emerging and established playwrights from across Greater Essex.

Supported by GreyFriars Hotel, the award marks a significant new investment in regional talent and reflects the Mercury’s ongoing commitment to developing and producing exceptional new writing.

Supported by the Marcela Trust, this is the first year of a new playwrighting award championing both established and emerging writers from Greater Essex.

Over recent years, the Mercury has been proud to have been able to profile the work of Essex-based writers through workshops, masterclasses and productions on both the main stage and in the studio space Recent successes have included Flumps by Emma Jo Pallett which won UK Theatre’s Best New Play award in 2025, the world premiere of The Manningtree Witches by Ava Pickett in 2026, and a new stage adaptation of Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape, based on the bestselling book by Colchester-born Dermot O’Leary. These productions sit alongside a growing body of acclaimed new work developed and staged by the Mercury, including Martha Loader’s award-winning Bindweed and Tassa Deparis’ Swallow the Lake.

The Mercury is committed to supporting local writers. We are seeking Essex writers from all backgrounds with new ideas and new stories. Your work can be any genre or style - be contemporary or historical.

The winner of the Mercury Essex Playwrights Award will receive a full commission, dramaturgical support from the Mercury’s artistic team, and a fully staged production in the Mercury Studio during 2027. In addition to the production, the winner will receive dramaturgical support from our Literary Associate Kenny Emson and our Artistic Director, Natasha Rickman. You will also work closely with our Talent and New Work Producer, Katie Cutmore. 

The Mercury is committed to supporting local writers. We are seeking Essex writers from all backgrounds with new ideas and new stories. Your work can be any genre or style – be contemporary or historical.

The winner of the Mercury Essex Playwrights Award will receive a full commission, dramaturgical support from the Mercury’s artistic team, and a fully staged production in the Mercury Studio during 2027.

In addition to the production, the winner will receive dramaturgical support from our Literary Associate Kenny Emson and our Artistic Director, Natasha Rickman. You will also work closely with our Talent and New Work Producer, Katie Cutmore.