Launch of a new Script Development Programme

The new scheme to develop emerging writing talent will launch officially at the upcoming Theatre Lab workshop, which takes place in The Derry Playhouse Theatre on Saturday, November 16 from 10am – 4.30pm.

Sole Purpose has been developing talented new writers from its establishment, 22 years ago, and has been offering its innovative Theatre Lab workshops twice a year since 2001. These Theatre Labs have been instrumental in helping local writers develop and improve scripts for TV, film, stage and radio. Among the writers who have developed successful plays through the company are Lawrence Aronovitch, Hilary McCollum, Edie Shillue and Berni Kerr.

Sole Purpose is a multi award winning theatre company, having won the Special Jury Prize for its production of Blinkered by Patricia Byrne at Origin Theatre’s first Irish Festival in New York earlier this year.

The upcoming Theatre Lab will be facilitated by writer-director Don Mc Camphill, who has worked with a number of major theatres including Soho Theatre in London where he was a producer and head of department, 7:84 (Scotland), Jagriti Theatre (Bangalore), Aisling Ghear (Belfast), and Kisi (Iceland). His own writing includes a number of screenplays for BBC, Calipo Theatre and Picture Company, and his own company Dancing Eye Films. He has been nominated for the Imison Award (Society of Authors), the Sony Award (radio drama) and in 2002 he was winner of the Bill Miskelly Award (NI Screen).

The culmination of this autumn’s Theatre Lab will be the launch of Sole Purpose’s new script development programme, Sole Routes. The aim is to work with new writers to support their writing and in the process, develop exciting new work for the stage. The Theatre Lab is a practical dynamic space where writers can experiment with their work seeing professional actors act out their scripts under the guidance of a professional writer-director, and receive feedback on progress and development of their work.

The Programme offers three separate services for writers. As well as a script reading service giving writers tailored feedback and development support for their plays, the company also offers a Studio Development process where writers can work intensively with the company on their projects over a longer period. Writers can also opt to present their work to the general public through rehearsed readings at The Derry Playhouse. Artistic Director, Patricia Byrne, said, “What we’re aiming to do is enable writers identify what they want to achieve with a script, and help them to reach those goals.”

If you want to take part in the Theatre Lab, contact us on 028 7127 9918 or email [email protected]. You do not need to have completed a full length play but you must submit an extract of up to five typed pages plus a short synopsis, by Friday, November 8. Places on this workshop are limited. The fee for this full-day workshop is £45 (£35 concs). Participants are required to commit to the full day. Sole Purpose are core funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.