Plays For The People

Join acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith and award-winning applied arts practitioner Lynsey O’Sullivan for a day of play, discussion, and action.

Plays For The People is not theatre as you know it. These plays aren’t staged by actors: they’re designed for groups of people to meet, read, and explore together.

Each participant will receive a book of plays to keep. With guidance from Andy and Lynsey, you’ll learn how to perform and lead them yourself. Best of all, you’re free to use them in your own communities, classrooms or groups without paying a penny in royalties.

The plays are bold, thought-provoking, and perfect for sparking conversation. Together, you’ll explore three short works:

• A Citizens Assembly looks at the climate emergency
• How Can We Be More Anti-Racist? challenges structural inequality
• The Actions raises questions about political activism and what really makes change happen

These pieces can be performed in any space you can turn into a theatre, even just for a little while.

All are welcome. Lunch will be provided. We’d like people from diverse places to join us – arts and educational institutions, community and grassroots organisations, freelance artists and interested individuals. For this reason, tickets are being offered on a pay what you can afford basis between £15 and £45.

We suggest a price of £15 for freelancers and individuals, £25 for teachers, youth workers and those representing smaller arts organisations, and £45 for participants representing bigger institutions such as arts centres and universities. Please do consider paying what you can, as it will allow us to offer bursary places and support for those who for whatever reason are not able to afford to attend. If you are interested in coming along and would like to talk to us about one of these places, please visit Andy’s Website.

‘[…] the brilliance of A CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY is the way it structures discussion around the subject by asking questions of how we can act and cleverly casting the audience as actors in the unfolding story.’ – Lyn Gardner, The Stage

This day has been supported by the Impact Support Fund at The University of Manchester.