Dates: November 28th, November 29th, November 30th
Location: Rehearsal Studio 1, Theatre Deli Studios, 2 Finsbury Avenue, EC2M 2PA
Time: 10.00 - 17.00

Paines Plough is the national theatre of new plays. Productions include Out of Love ("Runs through you like a knife to the guts… burns even as it warms" - Time Out), Jumpers for Goalposts ("Unreservedly recommended" The Independent), Wasted ("An unmissable experience" Whatsonstage) and Sea Wall ("One of the most devastating 30 minutes you are ever likely to experience in the theatre" - The Guardian).

We all have an impression of Hamlet or Arkadina. But what if you're creating a character for the very first time in a never performed new play? Where do you start? And what if your character doesn't have a name, a gender, or even assigned speech? A three day workshop looking at the actor's vital creative role in premiering new plays.

In this three day residency members will work with Artistic Director James Grieve on ways to approach these new character - from audition to press night. 

PAINES PLOUGH & JAMES GRIEVE

Paines Plough commissions and produces the UK's best playwrights. James is Joint Artistic Director of the company. He was formerly co-founder and Artistic Director of nabokov, and Associate Director of The Bush Theatre.   

"The lifeblood of the UK’s theatre ecosystem." The Guardian

"Paines Plough has racked up so many stars that browsing its press release is a bit like looking into deep space" Metro  

Paines Plough was formed in 1974 over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub. Since then the company has premiered more than 150 new productions by world renowned playwrights like Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Dennis Kelly and Mike Bartlett on tour to hundreds of places from Manchester to Moscow to Maidenhead. Paines Plough's Programme 2015 sees 11 productions by the nation’s finest writers touring to 84 places from Cornwall to the Orkney Islands; in village halls and Off-Broadway, at music festivals and student unions, online and on radio, and in our own pop-up theatre Roundabout.

For Paines Plough James has directed new plays by the UK's most exciting writers including Mike Bartlett, James Graham, Nick Payne, Kate Tempest, Elinor Cook, Brad Birch, Sarah McDonald Hughes, , Tom Wells, Marie Jones and Penelope Skinner. His freelance work includes new production of LES MISERABLES for Wermland Opera in Sweden, Brian Friel's TRANSLATIONS which won Best Production at the UK Theatre Awards and the forthcoming new musical THE ASSASSINATION OF KATIE HOPKINS.