Box office: 020 7978 7040
How do you write a play from beginning, middle to end?
In this five week course, celebrated playwright Somebody Jones will take you through the building blocks of playwrighting. This foundational course is ideal for any writer looking to delve into the process of writing plays.
By the end of this course, you’ll not only feel more confident in your writing — you’ll also have the tools and clarity to edit your own work and keep going when things get tough. Whether you’re starting from scratch or picking up a half-finished draft, this course is here to help you finish strong.
Dates: Thursday 26 Feb – Thursday 26 March (inclusive)
Session 1: Thursday 26 Feb 19:00-21:30
Beginnings — Inciting Incident & Stakes
Let’s kick things off with the kick-off — the moment your story really starts. We’ll break down what an inciting incident is, why it matters, and how to raise the stakes so your audience leans in. We’ll look at how great plays get rolling and do writing exercises to help you launch yours with energy and purpose.
By the end of this session, writers will be able to craft a strong inciting incident that gets their play moving and sets up meaningful stakes for their characters.
Session 2: Thursday 5 March 19:00-21:30
Beginnings, Part 2 — Exposition
Exposition has a bad reputation — but when done well, it’s seamless, clever, and even fun. In this session, we’ll explore how to give the audience what they need to know without slowing your play down. Through scene work and playful rewrites, you’ll learn how to let your characters do the heavy lifting.
Writers will learn how to weave exposition into scenes naturally, using character, conflict, and subtext instead of explanation.
Session 3: Thursday 12 March 19:00-21:30
Middles — Characters, Objectives & Obstacles
The middle of your play is where things get juicy — characters go after what they want, and the world (or each other) gets in their way. We’ll dig into what drives your characters, what’s standing in their way, and how those tensions keep your audience hooked. Expect lots of brainstorming and some helpful chaos.
Writers will be able to clarify what their characters want, identify the obstacles in their path, and use those tensions to build momentum through the middle of the play.
Session 4: Thursday 19 March 19:00-21:30
Middles, Part 2 — Tackling Writer’s Block
This session is all about breaking through. Whether you’re stuck on page 1 or page 51, we’ll talk about why blocks happen and what to do when they show up. We’ll try out low-pressure writing games, story-mapping, and a few creative hacks to help you get unstuck and stay in motion.
Writers will walk away with practical tools for working through creative blocks and staying connected to their story — even when the going gets tough.
Session 5: Thursday 26 March 19:00-21:30
Endings — Resolution & Transformation
In this final session, we’ll talk about what makes an ending feel satisfying — not perfect, but earned. We’ll look at character change, emotional payoff, and how to find your play’s final beat. There’ll be time for reflection, feedback, and celebrating how far you’ve come.
Writers will understand how to shape endings that feel natural, meaningful, and connected to their characters’ journeys.
Running time of each session: 2.5 hours – delivered online. Maximum class sizes are 16. A portion of spaces have been reserved for Share the Drama places.
If you have any access requirements, you can let us know by filling out our Writer’s Programme Accessibility Form or contacting Theatre503 via our Writers’ Programme email, writersprogramme@theatre503.com or by calling 02079787040.
For further details of Theatre503 Accessibility, please visit the Access page of our website.
Thanks to our Share The Drama scheme, we want to make sure those of you who are struggling in the current climate can still take part in our Writers Programme. If you would like to book a Share The Drama bursary for the Writer’s Programme, please call our box office on 02079787040.
Please note, online sale will close at 5pm the day of the first session of the course.
Somebody Jones
Somebody Jones is a Los Angeles native playwright/dramaturg, currently living, working, and dreaming in London. Jones’s work celebrates and champions Black culture in all of its charms and complexities. The playwright/dramaturg primarily works within the genres of horror, magical realism, verbatim, and recently, Black fantasy.
Jones’s debut play, HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM toured the UK in Summer 2024, going from Paines Plough’s Roundabout at the Edinburgh Fringe to Brixton House and then Bristol Old Vic. Jones is currently dramaturging Chadwick Boseman’s play, DEEP AZURE at The Globe, opening February 2026.
The name Somebody Jones means the more you run from your past, the more you'll run into it.
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