About Swan Playwrights

Swan Playwrights is a self-organised writers' group catering for writers who want to write for performance. The group welcomes writers of all ages and experience. Existing and past members have written professionally for stage and radio and have pitched for television series.

Swan Playwrights developed as Worcester Theatre Company's theatre writer's group. In 1997 an Arts for Everyone grant allowed us to run the Free Theatre Project. Since then we have run several events where selected writers workshop their work with professional and amateur actors and directors.

The group is now based at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. There are monthly workshop meetings, a buddying scheme and regular competitions.

History and Past Events

(O) = open competition, (C) = closed competition

Family Snaps (February) Oldbury Rep and MAC Birmingham

(o)   After an open competition two plays were chosen for production under the title Family Snaps. The production was directed by Philip Rea of MDCC and put on by their company.

 

2007

 Artrix Open Day, Bromsgrove. (September)

©    Swan Playwrights put on two sketches directed by Liz Norton.

 

Laugh a Minute, Rose Kidderminster and Worcester Arts Workshop.

©         A medley of sketches from contributions submitted by Swan Playwrights. Directed by Sue Downing.

  

2006
 

Worcestershire Wise. Rose Kidderminster, Worcester and Artrix Bromsgrove. A selection of three new plays chosen in competition for performance. Directed by Clare Smout. 

May            

Food Glorious Food (C)       

A selection of three new plays chosen in competition for this 'script in hand' performances with professional actors and directors at two venues. Elli Parker directed. More details on this site.
2005
Summer / Autumn Up Close and Personal (C) A miscellany of monologues from many members given full performances at several venues. Martin Drury and Dympna Jardine directed. More details on this site.
May Three's A Crowd (C) A varied selection of three new plays chosen in competition for this ‘script in hand’ performance with professional actors and director / dramaturg, Clare Smout. More details on this site.
2004
November Double Trouble (O) After a competition two plays were chosen for full production by director Rob Swinton and representatives of The Nonentities. More details on this site.
October Scream (C) 3 three-handed pieces inspired by the word 'Scream'. The performances were at The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. The script-in-hand performances were directed by Kim Greengrass. More details on this site.
July 1, 2, 3 (C) Six shows of monologues, duologues and three handers on issues to do with children, old age and medicine. The performances were at Worcester Arts Workshop, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster and the Skills on Show exhibition at Worcester County Hall during July. More details on this site.
February Starting Over (O) A starter session for those interested in, but new to writing for the stage, and those who wanted to refresh their basic knowledge of dramatic craft. See linked page for details.
2003
Winter White Christmas (C) 4 plays on the themes of White Christmas were given a professional script-in-hand presentation at The Rose Theatre. Lance Woodman directed. More details on this site.
Autumn Black Night (C) 4 plays on the theme of black night were given a professional script-in-hand presentation at The Rose Theatre. Kim Greengrass directed. More details on this site.
Summer Chain Play (C) 3 new plays were developed collaboratively by 7 writers working with 3 dramaturgs. One of the plays (On a Knife Edge by Anne Bucknall and Georgina Macbeth) was selected for performance at the Skills on Show event in Worcester. More details on this site. 
Summer Secrets and Lies (C) 3 new plays by local writers were performed by professional actors and directed by Clare Smout. The show played at The Rose, Kidderminster and Worcester Arts Workshop. You can see details of the competition here.
January Move to Kidderminster With the closure of Worcester Swan Theatre the group moves to The Rose Theatre in Kidderminster. Read all about it here.
2002
Autumn / Winter Campaign to keep Worcester Swan Theatre open Not really a Swan Playwrights' event, but a major campaign that failed to save producing theatre and outreach work at the theatre.
Autumn Taking the Lead (C) 3 new plays by local writers were performed by professional actors and directed by Kim Greengrass at the Swan. More details here.
Autumn Talent (C) 5 new plays by local writers were performed by local actors and directed by Alex Delamere at 3 different venues.  Read more about this competition here.
Summer Theatre on the Run (C) Street theatre plays. The Races by Georgina Macbeth was performed by a community company in Worcester city centre.
Summer Golden Years (O) Full length plays. The Pathless Land by Rose Marshall and Home Truth by Rob Clarke were selected for professional rehearsal and a public reading. More details here.
Spring Verger on the Ridiculous by Anne Bucknall. A SP production at Worcester Theatre Festival. Read more about this here.
2001
Autumn TWOS-SOME! (C) Short two-handers performed in the Swan's bar: Rose Marshall's In Two Minds, Mo Murrie's The Two of Us and Kate Shaw's Dead Centre of Highgate.
Autumn Red Skies Over The Severn A main-stage play commissioned by The Swan from SP member Lance Woodman. Jenny Stephens directed for The Swan. The critical success of the play led to Lance being awarded a Pearson playwriting busrsary in 2002/3.
Autumn Victorian Voices A pair of linked monologues written by SP members Ali Oxtoby and Andy Higgitt for The Swan's Education and Outreach section. The professionally cast plays toured to local schools. Directed by Kim Greengrass.
Autumn TRIO (C) Three-handed plays: Ali Oxtoby's Leeks on the Moon and Martin Drury's Eternal were shown at Worcestershire County Council's 'Skills on Show' event. Paul Milton directed. The casts included Dympna McGill, Dan Roebuck, Ian Sorley and Paul Milton.
Summer HOT Theatre (O) Full-length plays: 'Testament' by Kate Shaw, 'Something Else' by Nicola Jones and 'The Donkey Field' by Pam Green. 
Spring Worcester Century Plays A main stage production of four plays produced in partnership with The Worcester Theatre Company. Read more about this here
2000
Autumn Bar Stories (C) Short plays: A Man Walks into a Bar by Lance Woodman, Anna's Interview by Tom Bryson and XXXXed by Martin Drury. 
Summer HOT Theatre (O) Full-length plays: Mr Punch by Peter Quiller, Checkpoint by Andy Higgitt and Shifting Sands by Barbara Lindley. The extracts were directed by Jenny Stephens and Kim Greengrass. The actors were Ali Belbin, Alex Delamere, Erica Grant and Rob Swinton.
1999
Autumn Swan Writers' Amnesty (C) Duologues on a theme of human rights run in collaboration with Worcester's Amnesty International Group. The plays shown in the Swan's bar were Home Thoughts From Abroad by Kate Shaw, A Candle in the Wire? by Martin Drury and Eva's Amnesty by Ali Oxtoby. The plays were directed by Kim Greengrass and featured actors Bella Hamblin and Rob Swinton.
Summer HOT Theatre '99 (O) Full-length plays: Postman's Knock by Pam Felix and A Body of Learning by Steven Deproost.
Spring All For One (C) Monologues. Run in collaboration with University College Worcester's Drama Society. 6 pieces (by Pam Felix, Paul Francis, Coll Mealing, Kate Shaw, Bernard Speakman and Brenda Wheeler) were given a public script-in-hand reading. 5 pieces (by Laura Kirwan, Jonathan Morant, Jen Purser, Paul Rencher and Ian Sorley) were read by the Drama Society. 
1998
Autumn Plays in the Bar (C) Short two-handers. The plays chosen were Kate by Andy Higgitt and Timetable by Pam Felix.
Summer HOT Theatre (O) Full-length plays: The White In Between by Peter Quiller and Jesus was Wrong by Neil Rhodes. Read all about it here
Spring New Voices (C) A new play developed from a proposal (a supporting event to WTC's production of Sharman MacDonald's When I Was Young I Used to Scream and Shout). The Play workshopped was Remembering Eric by Paul Francis.
1997
Autumn Armchair Theatre (C) Monologues (a supporting event to WTC's production of three of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads). Playwrights workshopped were Paul Francis, Peter Lyons and Lance Woodman.
Summer Free Theatre (O) Workshopped seven new full-length plays with a professional company of 6 actors and 2 directors. The Playwrights workshopped were Jean Davies (Mangoes), Celia Gatward (A Day in a Problem of Fred), Andy Higgitt (Boxed In!), Peter Lyons (Farewell the Trumpets), Coll Mealing (A Pumpkin Called Marylyn), Kate Shaw (Hardy Women) and Lance Woodman (Colin, Joyce and Davy).
1996
Summer The group is created Jenny Stephens, Artistic Director of Worcester Swan Theatre, and her associate Mark Babych create a theatre writers' group. Early in 1997 the group is constituted as Swan Playwrights and bids for funds to run Free Theatre (see above).