The Palace commisisons, develops and produces original contemporary plays for our Edwardian proscenium arch theatre. We aim to develop inclusive, accessible plays about the way we live, with the depth and ambition to attract excellent actors, and the potential to change the way we look at things.

We invest time, skill and resources in the development of scripts, and hope to create work of lasting quality which may have a life beyond our stage. For instance our production of Gary Owen's WE THAT ARE LEFT, directed by Artistic Director Brigid Larmour, has been invited to Theatr Clwyd, the National Theatre of Gary's native Wales.

WRITERS IN RESIDENCE

Gary Owen, who is writing a new play, is a Creative Associate, with a voice in the company. We also have a young writer in residence, Stacey Gregg, whose career we are helping to develop.

DEVELOPMENT

We are expanding our support for the development of writers and writing in Watford and the Eastern region, planning a series of workshops by some of our established writers, and collaborations with Nabokov, a leading new writing company in our region, who work on a smaller scale. The first of these will be announced around the opening of the new Ronald Harwood play, which launches our centenary season in January.

We are integrating the work of the Creative Learning Department (formerly 'Active') more closely into the company, expanding its work from an exclusive focus on young people, to give creative learning opportunities for people of all ages. Playwriting will be an important part of this.

If you are interested in hearing more about playwriting workshops and events, please contact learning@watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk.