Oxford Playwriting
PLAYWRITING COURSES FOR ALL LEVELS
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Actors read work at a Performance Workshop
THE INTERMEDIATE COURSE 2022 - 2023
The INTERMEDIATE COURSE dates, all on Fridays, 10.30am - 5.30pm, are as follows:
Friday, October 7th, 2022
Friday, November 4th, 2022
Friday, December 2nd, 2022
Friday, January 6th, 2023
Friday, February 3rd, 2023
Friday, March 3rd, 2023
Friday, April 21st, 2023
Friday, May 19th, 2023
Friday, June 2nd, 2023
Performance Workshop
Saturday May 27th, 2023 11am-6pm
COST
10 x all-day sessions
(65 hours in total)
Course Fee; £2250
Each course is self-contained. It is not necessary to do all three years.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Entry requirements for the Intermediate Course are either successful completion of the Foundation Course or having had your work already professionally staged or published.
The INTERMEDIATE COURSE consists of 10 day-long sessions that take place from 10.30am-5.30pm for one Friday per month -- including a final day-long Performance Workshop.
HOW IT WORKS
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There are 6 WRITERS on the Intermediate Course. This reduced number is to allow sufficient time for each writer to talk through their current play during the afternoon of each day-long session.
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All writers are encouraged to share their work with the whole group before each monthly session.
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Each writer begins the Intermediate Course by sharing past work with the group and outlining their ideas for a new play to be written during the year.
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All writers on the Intermediate Course read PLAYWRITING (2019) by Stephen Jeffreys and INTO THE WOODS (2014) by John Yorke. Through these texts, John takes the group (with substantial additional notes) through the following areas:
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Structure
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Character
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Dialogue and Subtext
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Time and Place
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Experimental Structure
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Types of Story
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Content
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Adaptation
Each of these topics occupies a morning workshop.
The afternoon session is dedicated to feedback and a group discussion of each writer's play in progress.
The group itself becomes a creative unit that motivates each writer to think more boldly and expressively than before.
There is a clear brief in the Intermediate Course for writers to be progressing fruitfully on their own during the period between the monthly sessions.
The group reads and discusses 2 plays every month – these plays are chosen to illuminate the month’s theme, i.e, Structure, Character, etc.
INTERMEDIATE READING LIST
Note: the Intermediate reading list changes annually.
THE PRICE by Arthur Miller
OIL by Ella Hickson
COCK by Mike Bartlett
GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire
BETRAYAL by Harold Pinter
THE YORK REALIST by Peter Gill
THE FLICK by Annie Baker
random by debbie tucker green
SMALL ISLAND by Helen Edmundson ad from Andrea Levy
INTIMATE APPAREL Lynn Nottage
BLACKBIRD David Harrower
THE WATSONS Laura Wade
DEATH OF ENGLAND Roy Williams
"John has a rare gift for delivering honest feedback that is simultaneously encouraging. After one term, I’m already writing better. I have too much good stuff to say. I can't tell you how much I'm relishing everything about the course."
Janet Taylor, writer, 2019/22
"John creates a wonderful atmosphere that is both supportive and challenging providing clear user friendly tasks that build up to the performance of fully developed plays."
Anthea Dobry, participant 2019/22
Bursaries
available!
Bursaries
available!
Visiting workshop leaders and guest speakers
Upcoming:
TBC
Previous:
2021 TIM CROUCH (Don’t Ask The Driver, An Oak Tree, England, The Author)
June 2018 CHRIS CAMPBELL then Literary Manager at The Royal Court
June 2019 MIKE BARTLETT (Dr Foster, Press, King Charles 3rd, Albion, Earthquakes in London)
March 2020 KENNETH LONERGAN (Manchester by the Sea, You Can Count On Me, Starry Messenger, This is Our Youth)
FREE ONLINE CONSULTATION
John Retallack offers a FREE 30-minute online consultation for those interested in applying for the course. He will take you through key elements of his Oxford Playwriting Course, and give you the opportunity to ask questions.