About London Playwrights

Helping playwrights develop their craft and move their work forward

London Playwrights is an online resource and community for emerging playwrights. We bring together opportunities, practical advice, workshops, courses and dramaturgical support in one place. Whether you are starting your first play, working towards a finished draft or looking for the next opportunity, we are here to help you keep writing and take your work further.

Explore our work Meet the team

What we do

• Find opportunities
We bring together current submission windows, competitions, commissions, workshops and other opportunities for playwrights.
• Develop your craft
Our Zoom workshops, digital courses and practical resources help writers build their skills and make progress with their work.
• Strengthen your script
Our experienced dramaturgs provide constructive, practical feedback through script consulting, ongoing development and professional table readings.
• Support new work
Our Members’ Submission Window gives members the opportunity to receive feedback and be considered for further development.
• Build community
Through membership, workshops, meet-ups and shared resources, we create opportunities for playwrights to learn, connect and support one another.

Our story

London Playwrights began as a blog in 2013, founded by playwrights Kimberley Andrews and A. C. Smith. Their aim was to make it easier for emerging writers to find opportunities, access useful resources and navigate the practical realities of being a playwright.

In 2016, London Playwrights expanded to offer workshops, development opportunities, script consulting and a paid membership scheme.

Today, we support writers through free opportunity listings, practical resources, courses, feedback and a growing online community.

We believe playwriting is for everyone

You do not need permission, professional credits or a particular kind of education to write a play.

We welcome writers at every stage, from those experimenting with playwriting for the first time to experienced writers looking for fresh support and a stronger creative community.

We are committed to making our work as accessible as possible and helping to create a fairer landscape for writers from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and locations.

Supported by our members

The work of London Playwrights is made possible by our members. Their support allows us to keep sharing free opportunities and resources while creating new workshops, development programmes and services for playwrights.

By becoming a member, you can support our work while accessing additional resources, discounts and development opportunities. Join as a member.

Meet the team

London Playwrights is supported by a small team of playwrights, dramaturgs, workshop leaders and script readers. Together, we deliver workshops, provide dramaturgical support, read new work and create resources for our community.

Co-founder and dramaturg

Kimberley Andrews

Kimberley is a playwright, dramaturg and workshop leader. As a playwright, she has worked with Birmingham Rep, Manchester Royal Exchange, the University of Wolverhampton, All the Rage Theatre, Luton Culture and RADA. She has also written and produced comedy sketch shows on the London fringe. As a dramaturg, Kimberley has worked on short films for BBC Ideas, taught playwriting at RADA and the University of York, and worked as a freelance script consultant. Through London Playwrights, she delivers workshops and creates development and mentoring programmes. Kimberley has supported hundreds of writers over the past decade and particularly enjoys helping writers shape their stories, find their individual voices and develop their playwriting craft.

Script consultant and workshop leader

Emily Garside

Emily is a playwright, dramaturg, academic and arts marketer. She specialises in musical theatre, with a PhD exploring its history, and has written about the history and analysis of musicals for a range of publications. As a dramaturg, Emily has worked across plays and musical theatre. She is Chair of the Board for Taking Flight Theatre and has particular expertise in accessible and inclusive theatre, including integrated BSL and captioning. A graduate of RADA and the University of Nottingham, Emily has produced work with Clock Tower Theatre, Freerayne Productions, Dirty Protest Theatre and The Other Room. Her play, Don’t Send Flowers, has toured to Cardiff, Wolverhampton and Manchester.

Literary manager

Hayley-Rose

Hayley-Rose is a multidisciplinary theatre-maker whose work spans acting, writing, directing and literary management. She has acted with Cervantes Theatre, written with the RSC, studied directing at Rose Bruford and led literary work for Incept Collective. She is particularly interested in challenging theatrical traditions and championing unheard voices.

Script consultant

Nika Obydinski

Nika is a dramaturg, playwright and experienced script reader. Alongside her work with London Playwrights, she has read for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, the Royal Exchange Theatre, the Verity Bargate Award and the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award. She is a Senior Reader for Theatre503, where she also works with writers through its one-to-one dramaturgy scheme, and has previously served as Literary Coordinator. Her other roles have included managing the Adrian Pagan Award and judging the Stella Wilkie Award and Durham Drama Festival. Nika’s own work has been performed at the Tristan Bates Theatre, the White Bear Theatre, LOST Theatre and BAC. She was also a finalist in the BBC’s Script Room Drama scheme.

Co-founder

A. C. Smith

A. C. Smith is a scriptwriter, songwriter and educator. Her work has received awards from the RSC and Soho Theatre and has been performed at venues including Soho Theatre, RADA, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, HighTide Festival, Rose Playhouse Bankside, Pleasance Theatre, The Space and the Tristan Bates Theatre. She was a member of the Bush Theatre’s 2016 Emerging Writers Group and has worked at RADA as a Playwriting Tutor and Head of Academic Studies. She has also worked as a Development Executive at First Born Films, supporting new feature-film projects. As a lyricist and musical-theatre bookwriter, A. C. was shortlisted for the Kevin Spacey Artists of Choice Awards. Her songs, written with Bella Barlow, have been performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and broadcast on JemmThree Radio. A. C. and Kimberley founded London Playwrights to help writers bridge the gap between their creative ambitions and practical goals.

Our readers

Our script readers support the Members’ Submission Window by reading submitted plays and providing thoughtful, constructive feedback.

Script reader

Dan Millen

Dan is a screen and theatre writer based in south-west London. He has provided freelance script coverage since 2020 and enjoys helping writers develop their projects. He has an MA in Screenwriting and co-wrote and directed the short film Ransack in 2024.

Script reader

Hazel Fattorusso

Hazel is a playwright from the East of England. She enjoys writing strong, complex female characters and using comedy to explore serious questions around femininity, sisterhood and motherhood. She is passionate about theatre’s ability to address social issues and amplify voices that are not always heard.

Script reader

Rachael Walsh

Rachael is a director and dramaturg and a graduate of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s MA in Drama Directing. She works with writers and theatre-makers to help them develop their ideas and tell the stories they want to tell.

Script reader

Alistair Maxwell

Alistair is a graduate of Queen Margaret University’s Drama and Performance course. He has reviewed theatre for The List, Youth Theatre Arts Scotland and The Wee Review, as well as covering arts festivals in Croatia, Slovenia and Edinburgh. As a playwright, he has written for Not So Nice Theatre and Page2Stage. He also writes and directs short films and sketch comedy with Half/Cut Films.