EVERY WEDNESDAY* FROM 29th April to 8th July 2026
*Please note there is no session on Wednesday 27th May 2026. The session on 8th July will be delivered offsite.
Writers Lab is a group for people looking to explore writing for performance.
Suitable for beginners and those who have already begun the journey, over the course of weekly sessions we will look at enabling people to discover their voice as writers, develop confidence and encourage creativity. Alongside this we will develop craft through exercises exploring the basics of dramatic structure, developing character, dialogue and story.
This course will be delivered by Mike Akers.
About Mike Akers
Mike’s first play, Holding Hands with Angels, written for Theatre West, won a national one act play competition. Since then, he has had over fifty plays commissioned, including productions for Bristol Old Vic, Salisbury Playhouse, Travelling Light, Royal & Derngate Northampton, Coventry Belgrade, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Prime Theatre, Oval House, Tobacco Factory Theatres and on BBC radio. He has worked regularly as the writer in the room with renowned director Sally Cookson on shows including Boing! and a trio of highly successful BOV productions, Treasure Island, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre, the latter two of which can still be seen on NT Live. His most recent production is a new adaptation of David Copperfield for Bath Theatre Royal, also directed by Sally Cookson.
- RUNNING TIME1 hour 30 minutes
- AGE RECOMMENDATION18+
- TICKETS£145 | £115 (Pay what you choose)
- VENUESpielman Theatre
Every Wednesday from 29th April to 8th July (except 20th May) from 6pm – 7:30pm and 8pm – 9.30pm.
There is a 6pm session & an 8pm session. Please book whichever time slot is more suitable for you.
Pay What You Choose (PWYC)
By joining, you sign up for the whole term and can choose to pay £14.50 or £11.50 per session, which works out as £145 or £115 for the full term. The subsidised option is intended for those from low income households. We also have bursary places available for people facing financial difficulty. It is important to us that anyone who wants to take part can do so. If you would like to apply for a bursary place, please email getinvolved@tobaccofactorytheatres.com.
To sign up and pay for the full term up front, click the ‘Buy Tickets’ button above.
PLEASE NOTE when booking you will only see the first date of the sessions. By booking you are committing to all sessions as per the dates above. We are unable to offer refunds for places unless we have a waiting list for that particular class and are able to resell the place. For further information, please see our refund policy here.
