Episode 1: Finding your story

Playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero explains some different ways of finding the story you want to write about. The resource pack which accompanies the first video is designed as a first step for anyone who has never written a play before.

Episode 2: Building the World

Playwright Ishy Din shares his techniques and the questions he asked to build the world in which his play is set.

Episode 3: Creating compelling characters

Playwright and actor, Jack Holden talks about writing compelling characters. This final resource pack takes you through a series of exercises from a writing warm-up through to developing your own compelling characters. 

Episode 4: Dialogue

Our playwrights talk about the different techniques they use to write dialogue.

Episode 5: World of the Play

Playwrights talk about how they create a world for their characters and make it feel authentic.

Episode 6: Re-Drafting

What do you do once you've finished your first draft? Where do you go next?

Episode 7: Feedback

Why the first draft is just a first draft - our playwrights share some of the advice that has helped them the most.

37 Plays Teachers' Packs

These packs are designed to assist teachers in encouraging their students to explore playwriting, either for the first time or to further existing creative writing experience.

Download 37 Plays Teachers' Pack 1  

37 Plays masterclasses

A series of masterclasses around the country in which established playwrights talk about their own approaches to playwriting, solving problems and answer questions from their audience.

Hannah Khalil in Stratford-upon-Avon

Playwright Hannah Khalil talks to Pippa Hill about writing a play, including sculpting time, exploring whether you need a twist just before the interval, and what to do when something in your play isn't working.

The 37 Plays Podcast

Playwright Mark Ravenhill discusses two playwriting tips with an invited guest writer for each of our six episodes, and finds out what sparked their interest in writing.

Lolita Chakrabarti explains why you shouldn’t listen to anybody else before you’ve finished your first draft, Hannah Khalil says you should write just for yourself, and Danusia Samal suggests putting some distance between you and your writing. James Graham looks for the central moment in his characters’ journey, Winsome Pinnock talks about alternating show and tell and Chinonyerem Odimba tells each of her characters a secret.