The Marlowe Writers’ Room
Nurturing a new generation of writers for stage and screen in Kent.
Led by award-winning playwright and resident Marlowe Dramaturg Leo Butler, the Marlowe Theatre Writers’ Room brings together aspiring and emerging writers in the local area. In his series of weekly courses, Leo offers a safe space in which to learn, experiment, and meet new people – whether it be the start of a career in writing or a fun new thing to try. Beyond the sessions, participants become part of the growing Writers’ Room community, with long-term access to helpful resources and an ever-larger pool of fellow writers as they continue their writing journey.
The following courses are currently available to book. If you have any questions, please email us.
Your Story Belongs Here
Sat 31 Oct – Sat 12 Dec, 11.30am-2pm
The Marlowe Theatre and Origin Studios have teamed up to deliver a seven-week writers’ lab.
Launching over Black History Month, Your Story Belongs Here is led by writer Paula B. Stanic and writer and drama director Makalla McPherson.
Particularly created to nurture underrepresented voices, the lab is for people who have stories they want to tell through scriptwriting – whether you have some experience or have never written a script before. Across seven practical sessions, you’ll explore some of the core ingredients – character, story, structure, dialogue and genre – while developing your ideas in a supportive and creatively ambitious environment.
Drawing on Paula and Makalla’s professional experience across theatre and television, you’ll also discover how a script moves beyond the page and how writers, actors and directors collaborate to bring stories to life.
Max. 10 participants.
Location: Canterbury
Age: 18yrs+
Pay what you can
We don’t want cost to be a barrier to your involvement in our courses. When booking your place, you’ll be able to select from a range of prices at a level that you can afford. Recommended price: £50.
About the facilitators
Makalla McPherson
Makalla McPherson is a British writer and director working across film and television. Her directing credits include Doctor Who, Queenie, Queen Charlotte and Waterloo Road, with her work on Doctor Who recognised as a finalist for the 2026 Hugo Awards. She is also the founder of Origin Studios, where she develops original film and television projects.
Paula B. Stanic
Paula B. Stanic is an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced in the UK and internationally. Her play What’s Lost won the Alfred Fagon Award, Monday was shortlisted for the John Whiting Award, and Four Decades was a finalist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting. Her recent work includes Messiah, co-written with Jesse Briton, Night Shift for Zoo Co Theatre, Dissonance for Paines Plough and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and Tracks, which premiered at Pendragon Theatre before transferring to 59E59 in New York. She is a creative partner and writer at Origin Studios.
Previously available courses
Introduction to Playwriting, Sat 30 Sep – Sat 16 Dec 2023
Introduction to Playwriting, Wed 27 Sep – Wed 13 Dec 2023
An Introduction to Movie Screenwriting, Sat 20 Jan – Sat 16 Mar 2024
Write a Team Play, Wed 1 May – Wed 10 Jul 2024
Write a Play in a Day, Wed 7 Aug 2024
Verbatim Theatre for Writers, with Alecky Blythe, Sat 10 Aug 2024
An Introduction to Playwriting, Sat 14 Sep – Sat 7 Dec 2024
An Introduction to Playwriting, Sat 11 Jan – Sat 5 Apr 2025
Writing Children’s Theatre, Sat 26 Apr – Sat 19 Jul 2025
New Revolutions – Writing Political Theatre Today, Sat 13 Sep – Sat 6 Dec 2025
