PLAYWRITING RESOURCES
Resources for Students
Our series of three resource packs are designed for anyone who's never written a play before. Each pack features a series of exercises and activities and an accompanying video. You don't have to do all the activities in one go - you can pick and choose, and do them when you have just a few minutes to spare.
Episode 1: Finding your story
Playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero explains some different ways of finding the story you want to write about. The resource pack which accompanies the first video is designed as a first step for anyone who has never written a play before.
Episode 2: Building the World
Playwright Ishy Din shares his techniques and the questions he asked to build the world in which his play is set.
Episode 3: Creating compelling characters
Playwright and actor, Jack Holden talks about writing compelling characters. This final resource pack takes you through a series of exercises from a writing warm-up through to developing your own compelling characters.
Episode 4: Dialogue
Our playwrights talk about the different techniques they use to write dialogue.
Episode 5: World of the Play
Playwrights talk about how they create a world for their characters and make it feel authentic.
Episode 6: Re-Drafting
What do you do once you've finished your first draft? Where do you go next?
Episode 7: Feedback
Why the first draft is just a first draft - our playwrights share some of the advice that has helped them the most.
37 Plays
In 2023, to mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio, we launched 37 Plays, a national playwriting project led by the RSC and our partner theatres which encouraged people – young and old, new and experienced – to write the stories of our nation that reflect the world we live in today.
We received more than 2,000 entries which were read by our national team of 28 readers over a period of 15 weeks. We were astonished by the passion, ingenuity and truthfulness of the plays we received.
After much deliberation, a shortlist of 71 plays was chosen. Our team of 10 judges then selected the plays from this shortlist to make up the new 37 Plays Folio.
The final 37 Plays were performed script-in-hand in venues across England in autumn 2023. You can find out more about the final 37 Plays on the RSC website: www.rsc.org.uk/37-plays
The Judging Panel
RSC Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman chaired the judging panel made up of:
Unicorn Theatre Associate Director Rachel Bagshaw,
actor and RSC Associate Artist Ray Fearon,
theatre critic and The Stage Associate Editor Lyn Gardner,
best-selling author Sharna Jackson,
actor and 2018 Ian Charleson Award-winner Bally Gill,
award-winning playwrights Mark Ravenhill and Juliet Gilkes Romero,
actor/writer and RSC Associate Artist David Threlfall.
They were joined by Harry and Ella from the RSC Youth Advisory Board.
Watch the trailer for the 37 Plays Project.
37 Plays was supported by Jon and NoraLee Sedmak. New Work at the RSC is generously supported by The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust.
37 Plays Masterclasses
A series of masterclasses around the country in which established playwrights talk about their own approaches to playwriting, solving problems and answer questions from their audience.
Watch the Masterclass with playwright, Hannah Khalil in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Playwright Hannah Khalil talks to Pippa Hill about writing a play, including sculpting time, exploring whether you need a twist just before the interval, and what to do when something in your play isn't working.
