Introduction to Playwriting Course with Andrew Thompson

Thursdays, 29 May - 26 Jun 2025

Written by Andrew Thompson

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This course is designed to support early stage writers from initial spark to first draft, exploring the toolkit playwrights have and the questions they ask to navigate the all important planning and writing of their play. This is a course focused on understanding the craft essential to creating drama.

Five sessions starting from Thursday 29 May 2025 , 7:00pm – 9:30pm. The sessions will take place over Zoom. Maximum class sizes are 16. A portion of spaces have been reserved for Share the Drama places.

Week One: Where Do You Get Your Ideas From? – is my idea a play and how might I spark my imagination. Exercises designed to help kick start your creativity and to help you examine and develop your ideas.

Week Two: Plotting – though a combination of exercises and script examples we will examine the benefits and methodologies behind plotting your play and put them into practice.

Week Three: Structure – we will examine various elements of structure and explore how they can be used to build the perfect framework for your ideas.

Week Four: Character – who are they, what is their function, and how do we create characters with depth. We will play with exercises to help us get to know our characters and think beneath their surface.

Week Five: Planning/Writing – we will put together all we’ve learnt and develop a blueprint to help you craft your narrative into a play.

If you have any access requirements, you can let us know by contacting filling out the Google Form linked here or contacting Theatre503 via our Writers’ Programme email, writersprogramme@theatre503.com or by calling 02079787040. You can view what we currently are able to offer on our Accessibility page.

Andrew Thompson

Andrew Thompson trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy and worked for companies including; Sheffield Theatres, Birmingham Stage Company, NT, ITV and Channel 4. He began writing and twice submitted and took part in Theatre503’s Rapid Write Response. He attended an ‘Introduction to Playwriting’ course at Live Theatre, Newcastle and an Arvon Course led by Laura Wade and Simon Stephens. Andrew was selected for an Arvon/Jerwood Fellowship, receiving mentorship from the playwright David Eldridge. His Play ‘In Event of Moone Disaster’ won the 2016 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award and was produced at the theatre, directed by Lisa Spirling, also winning the Stage Debut Award – Best Writer 2018.