There’s no better example of our dedication to new writing than our Writers’ Room, established to support new generations of Kentish writers for stage and screen.

Led by award-winning playwright Leo Butler, the Marlowe’s resident dramaturg, the Writers’ Room is designed to nurture aspiring and emerging writers, at all levels of experience.

The Writers’ Room offers several courses each year, usually held over six to twelve weeks, all offered on a pay-what-you-can basis – so cost is no barrier to participation.

Writers’ Room Festival

Look out for the annual Writers’ Room Festival. Held over several days at the Marlowe, previous festivals have featured work from local writers alongside new plays by the likes of Simon Stephens and Penelope Skinner, plus workshops and talks with writers and industry experts such as David Eldridge and Yolanda Mercy.

Leo Butler

Leo Butler is the resident dramaturg at the Marlowe Theatre. His plays include Made of Stone (Royal Court), Redundant (Royal Court, winner of the George Devine Award), Boy (Almeida), I’ll Be the Devil (RSC/The Kiln), Lucky Dog (Royal Court), Faces in the Crowd (Royal Court), All You Need Is LSD (Birmingham Rep/Told by an Idiot), Innocent Creatures (National Theatre) and, most recently, Living (Sheffield Playhouse) He is also the author of Notes from a Working-Class Playwright (Methuen Drama, 2025).