Artistic Team update

🚨 NEW!! 🚨

As part of our mission to nurture a vibrant, rigorous and ambitious creative culture in Liverpool, our new Directors’ Programme gives two emerging theatre directors the opportunity to develop their craft and understanding of working at the mid-scale, and encourage

This year-long attachment with us offers a mixture of professional masterclasses, paid workshopping, production observation and more.

If that sounds good to you, take a look at everything that’s on offer!

Applications open at 10am on Monday 18 May, and close 10am on Monday 15 June.

Our annual Seed Commissions invite playwrights to pitch us ideas for an exhilarating, ambitious new play, and give support to develop their ideas and begin the writing process.

We got the beginnings of three brilliant new plays from last year’s Seed Commissions, written by Harry Machray, Jess Green and Samantha O’Rourke – so we’re offering £1,000 to three new writers with ideas to develop for our main stage.

Check out our website for all the details, including eligibility and guidelines both on our artistic ambitions and the production parameters.

Applications open at 10am on Monday 15 June, and close 10am on Monday 13 July.

Our annual Open Script Submissions window is coming up again, this time to coincide with the Seed Commissions – so that you only have to remember one deadline!

Whereas Seed Commissions are about proposing a new play, Open Script Submissions are a way to send us a script you’ve already written and get feedback from our Artistic team and panel of readers.

You can find more information here.

The submission window opens at 10am on Monday 15 June, and closes 10am on Monday 13 July.

Our regular mixers are attached to each in-house production at the Everyman. They’re a chance for local theatre-makers to meet and chat with each other, members of the Artistic Team and – if we can wrangle them – members of the show’s creative team.

There’s free drinks, and you can see the show that night for £10 using the code MIXER10. What’s not to like?!

Our next mixer is for Julia Cranney’s gorgeous new play Attachment, on Friday 5 June.

We’ll kick off with a structured Q&A about Everyman programming and how new work reaches our stage, before moving to more free-form conversations.

Everyone’s busy, and it can be hard to get a meeting in theatres.

So I (Tommo, New Works Associate – hi 👋) have set up bookable 30min video check-ins as a way to make that process a bit easier and more transparent.

They’ll be around lunchtime, most Thursdays when I’m available – and you can book about 3 months in advance.

It’s the first time I’ve used this system, so let’s see if it works…!

Book your check-in here.

The writers' monthly meet-up – which takes place in our Writers’ Room – is hosted and organised by local playwrights, for local playwrights.

Each meet-up has a structured section – perhaps writing exercises, some specific questions to discuss, etc. – and then a free section just to have an informal natter.

This a self-sustaining group, with a different playwright volunteering to host each month – so it's a great opportunity to meet in solidarity, share skills and resources, and build up facilitation experience (if you want to!).

The next meet-up will be Thursday 4 June, 11.30am-1.30pm.

The group is administrated by its participants, with a WhatsApp community group that you can scan in the Writers’ Room.

Scratch nights are back at the Everyman!

Liverpool Scratch Network are in our Downstairs space each month, with upcoming performances at 7pm on Wednesday 3 June and 1 July.

If you’re a writer, director or actor who wants to try out some fresh new work in front of on audience, this is for you.

You can reserve your tickets on our website – and, if you’d like to take part, just email liverpoolscratchnetwork@gmail.com.

Hopefully see you there!

This is just a selection – make sure you’re signed up to mailing lists like OpenHire, ArtsJobs and London Playwrights, or checking local websites like Uncover Liverpool, to stay fully up to date.

Mainstage Prize
Deadline: 11 pm on Sat 1 August

A new playwriting prize, which this year is asking for plays on the theme of horror – whether psychological, political, supernatural or social. There’s £10k on offer, so one to look at if you’ve got a super-scary play just waiting for its chance to leap out and grab us.

Climate Prize
Opens: June
Deadline: 1 September

Yet another playwriting prize to think about! This time it’s for plays that engage meaningfully with the climate crisis – which can take a number of forms. There’s loads of information – including resources on climate theatre – on the Globe’s website.

I think this is such a galvanising, necessary initiative – so do take a look. (And, if you’re a director or producer, make sure you check out the long- and shortlists when they become public – there’ll be loads of great climate plays around crying out for you to stage them!)

THEATRE
Even These Things
Royal Exchange, Manchester
Fri 15 May – Mon 15 June

If watching The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher has got you thinking about the cost of political violence, here’s something to continue that: Rory Mullarkey’s new play revolves around the IRA bombing that devastated Manchester in 1996, taking stories from three different centuries and weaving them into an exploration of private and public histories, grief and love.

He’s a super interesting, deeply theatrical writer – and this is directed by the always sensational James Macdonald – so definitely one to make the journey for.

DANCE
In the Brain
HOME, Manchester
Weds 27 – Sat 30 May

Described as “part rave, part ritual”, Hofesh Shechter’s new piece promises to be brilliant.

I’ve loved every piece of his I’ve seen – and is definitely one if you’ve ever felt (like I did) that ‘dance just isn’t for me’. His blend of Middle Eastern folk traditions with the sweaty abandon of a club, often shot through with political fervour, is genuinely exhilarating.

TALK
Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre
Unity Theatre
2pm, Fri 29 May

Rhiannon White, co-founder of the award-winning political theatre company, Common/Wealth, will be talking about DIY and grassroots theatre-making to tie in with her recently-released book.

I reckon this’ll be a dead interesting, not to mention useful, call to action.

Writers’ Room

For those who haven’t spent time in it, the Writers’ Room is available for your use during open hours. With a library of fantastic scripts, it’s a great place to come and be inspired, do some co-working, or get round a table to read a new play.

For quiet working: just drop in! We encourage artists to work alongside one another – but, if the room is booked for a group, you’re welcome to work in the Theatre Bar.

For group reading or discussion: email me to book in advance.

And if you want to check availability on a particular day, feel free to email us or call Box Office.

Street Café discounts

Did you know we have discounts for theatre professionals in the Everyman Street Café? Well, we do!

You can get 10% off food and non-alcoholic drinks if you’re:

· a paid-up union member of BECTU, Equity, Independent Theatres Council, Musicians Union, Stage Directors UK or the Writers Guild,

· having an Arts Emergency mentoring session, or

· participating in New Works activity (e.g. using the Writers’ Room).