What is it?

Box of Tricks is an eight-week skills development programme for new playwrights. We’re interested in expanding the idea of what plays can be and who gets to write them. This paid professional development opportunity invites 12 participating artists to get to grips with some of the tools of writing for theatre so that they can build whatever kind of play they want.

Who is it for?

We want to hear from artists with an established practice in making or giving live performances for an audience in any artistic discipline (dance, spoken word, music, live art, theatre) who have an idea for and an ambition to write a piece of theatre. We want to support bold ideas and singular perspectives.

Lead by the Literary & New Work team, over eight evenings in Spring 2025 the participating artists will:

• Develop their craft in a community of peers.
• Explore and discuss aspects of playwriting craft like character, language, space, building stakes and escalation.
• Engage with the Abbey Theatre’s Literary & New Work team and Associate Artists including major playwrights Marina Carr and Conor McPherson
• Connect with exciting guest artists including internationally recognised theatre makers Jasmine Lee Jones, Carys D Coburn, Emmet Kirwan and Gail Babb who will share their experience of creating dynamic, unexpected and form-expanding plays.

We are particularly interested in hearing from artists from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in Irish theatre. If you don’t see your story on stage very often, we strongly encourage you to apply for this programme.

This work is kindly supported by the O’Neill Family, our Playwright Development Patron

Eligibility Criteria:  

To be eligible to apply, all applicants must be:

• available to attend all eight sessions
• based on the island of Ireland
• over 18 years of age

This opportunity is for you if:

• You are an artist with a professional practice in any performance discipline with a desire to explore dramatic writing. You could be an actor, a choreographer, a spoken word poet, a live art practitioner, a musician – the list goes on!
• You are currently working on your first full length play or have already written a maximum of one play of more than 60mins duration.

and/ or

• You have an idea for a theatre show and an active plan to write it.

This opportunity is not for you if:

• You don’t already have an established artistic practice in any performance discipline.
• You have already written more than one play of more than 60mins duration.
• You have a third level qualification in playwriting.

Dates and Details:

This programme takes place over eight Wednesday evenings from 6:30 – 9:30pm, February 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 9 2025.

• Deadline for applications is 5pm January 9th 2025. Selected participants will be informed by January 28th 2025
• Selected participants will be paid an attendance fee of €100 per session. All sessions will take place in person at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin 1. If you are based more than 50km from Dublin, we can contribute towards travel costs within a limited budget.

Application form 

Please complete this form to apply for Box of Tricks

FAQs 

I have to have written not more than one play? What does that mean?

We know. It’s tricky. You can apply if you are working on your first play currently, or have already written one play of more than 60mins in length. We set these criteria because we want to find the people who this programme will benefit most – that means people who are relative beginners to playwriting. If you’ve written five full length plays, you’re probably already too qualified. You don’t need to have finished a full play (and you definitely don’t need to have had it produced), but we want to offer these 12 places to people who are already excited about writing for theatre and actively working on ideas for plays.

Will this course teach me how to write a play?

Not exactly. This is not a How-To manual. Instead, this programme aims to show how different playwrights and theatre makers approach the same task very differently, how there is no one “right way” to do it. The tools and insights provided will hopefully help you to develop your playwriting practice, but in a way that works for you.

It says 300 words besides each question. Does this mean I HAVE to write 300 words exactly?

No – the maximum is 300 words, so write 100 if that’s all you need. Write 50. The important thing here is that you give us a strong sense of you and your interests as an artist in your answers.

My writing sample is only 5 pages. Should I still apply?

Yes! It’s maximum 10 pages. It can be less if you want. But it needs to be written for live performance in a theatre. It can be a scene. It can be the start of a play. It can be the middle section of a play that you think has great dialogue.

I don’t have a website or a big CV. Should I still apply?

Yes! Your CV doesn’t have to be a list of playwriting awards you’ve won – if it was, you’d be the wrong candidate for this programme. We suggest you tell us about your other artistic achievements or milestones. Have you performed poetry before? Have you choreographed a dance piece? Have you been doing stand-up comedy or performance art? Where? When? Asking for a CV or link to your website is just another way for you to show and tell us about your artistic practice to date.

Can I ask another question?

Sure thing! Email the Literary & New Work Team at new.work@abbeytheatre.ie and we’ll get back to you.