Playwriting: An Introduction (online)

Meeting either twice a week for four weeks or once a week for eight weeks, these eight intensive lessons are an exciting opportunity to work with an established playwright to explore the fundamentals of writing a play.

You will be working in a virtual group on Zoom with one of our experienced online tutors.

Course Content

Finding your idea
Creating a structured plot
Developing a character
Creating dramatic action
Writing effective dialogue
Finding and nurturing your voice as a writer
Gain a practical understanding of the playwriting process
How to submit work to theatre companies and publishers

Course Dates

Wednesday 1 May - Wednesday 19 June

8 weeks, 8 sessions (Wednesdays) 7pm - 9pm | Book your place

Booking Information

Our courses are available on a first come, first served basis in order of payment.

To secure a place, please take the following steps:

Read through our Terms and Conditions before booking
Click on ‘Book your place’ above. Please make sure you are booking for the correct course and option (i.e. Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu if more than one option is available)
Click ‘Select’ and follow the steps through to the completion of booking
If your preferred dates are sold out, you can click ‘Join Waiting List’ and we will let you know if a place becomes available

Anyone who is new to playwriting
Actors who would like to write a show
Anyone who has some playwriting experience but would like to refine and workshop their ideas

Days	Various. The course consists of 8 sessions in total and is delivered either twice a week for 4 weeks or once a week for 8 weeks.
Times	All times listed are either GMT or GMT +1 (depending on the time of year). If you’re joining from overseas, please use a timezone convertor before booking to establish what the local time will be for you.
Age	The minimum age is 18 on the first day of the course. There is no upper age limit.
Max. class size	12 students
Course Delivery	All of the Online Short Courses take place using Zoom. You will need to have access to a quiet room with no other people present, and space to move around to take part in this course.
International students	You are welcome to join this course from anywhere in the world.
Language requirements	Applicants must be confident speaking and reading English to a conversational level (IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent). You may be expected to read texts/scripts that have advanced vocabulary.
Attendance	Due to the structure and the collaborative nature of the courses, full attendance is requested.
Refunds	We are able to offer a full refund up until 7 days before the course begins. After this, the course will become fully non-refundable.
Cancellations	Central reserves the right to cancel this course if we do not meet the minimum number of participants. In this instance, a full refund will be made to you. We are unable to refund any other costs you may have incurred.

What our students say

“Despite being a complete novice to play-writing, and not a regular theatre-goer, this course allowed me to take my first steps in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. My fellow students were a mix of beginners and more experienced writers and it was good to listen to their experiences and views on the pieces that we studied. The tutor was great, providing detailed feedback in a positive way. It’s been great!!

Karen, September 2022

“This course opened my eyes to some interesting ideas and I felt the content was really valuable. I thought it was a great mix of inspiration and really practical guidance.”

Anabel, May 2022

“An excellent course to springboard you into the world of playwrighting. Jess did a fantastic job and covered a lot of ground. I’ve been inspired and informed, and I’m looking forward to moving ahead with the ideas, knowledge and feedback which I’ve received. Thanks so much!”

Short Course Student, May 2022