Date/Time
Date(s) - Mon 3rd Nov - Wed 26th Nov, 2025
7:00pm - 9:00pm
A Playwright’s Guide – From First Idea to First Night
Writing a play can sometimes be daunting. How do you start? How do you put it on the page? How do you finish? And then – most daunting of all – how do you get it in front of an audience?
This is a friendly, fun and comprehensive guide to playwriting. It will answer your questions and demystify the process of writing for the theatre – the most sociable and exciting form of creative writing.
It’s for everyone: from those who’ve never written a play before but have always been tempted; to those who have been writing for years but could do with a reboot.
There will be four detailed workshops, which will include lectures, discussions and practical writing exercises, and a one-on-one tutorial where you can discuss your own work with Douglas.
Moniack in a Month: Writing for the Theatre includes:
- a short introductory welcome session
- four stimulating online workshops, preceded by optional drop-in social time
- one 30-minute tutorial
- a final ceilidh session – sharing of work
- Contact and support from your community of writers via Google Classroom (optional)
- Drop-ins before each workshop to help you get to know your group (optional)
- Support from your Moniack Mhor host
Douglas’ workshops will focus on the following themes:
Workshop 1 – Before the Beginning
Getting ready to write. How does writing for the theatre differ from other forms of creative writing? How do you know what to write about? Theatricality. Preparation. Style and layout.
Workshop 2 – Craft
Character. Stage craft. Dialogue. Meaning. Image. Voice.
Workshop 3 – The Writing Process
Bringing it all together. Structure. Storytelling. Maintaining momentum. Endings.
Workshop 4 – Next Steps
Putting your play out into the world. The theatre scene (focusing primarily on Scotland). Re-writing. The development process. Rehearsals. Actors, directors, stage managers and producers. What next?
Timetable
Week 1 Monday 3 Nov 18:30–21:00 Welcome Session and Workshop 1
Week 2 Monday 10 Nov 19:00–21:00 Workshop 2
Week 3 Monday 17 Nov 19:00–21:00 Workshop 3
Week 4 Monday 24 Nov 19:00–21:00 Workshop 4
Week 4 Wednesday 26 Nov 19:00–21:00 Ceilidh
Tutorials
Your one-to-one tutorial with Douglas will be scheduled when the course starts and will most likely take place in weeks 2 or 3.
Tutor
Douglas Maxwell has been one of Scotland’s top playwrights since his debut 25 years ago in 2000. His recent work includes Man’s Best Friend (The Tron, 2025), So Young (The Citizens/Raw Materials 2025; The Traverse, Edinburgh Fringe First winner, 2024), Orphans (National Theatre of Scotland) and Fatbaws (The National Theatre of Scotland and the BBC). Fatbaws, directed by and starring Peter Mullan, was screened on BBC Scotland, watched by over a million people and nominated for a Scottish BAFTA. Previous plays include The Sheriff of Kalamaki (A Play, A Pie and A Pint; named Best Play at the 2024 Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland), Decky Does a Bronco, Mancub, Promises Promises (staged in New York as The Promise) and A Respectable Widow Takes to Vulgarity. Translations of Douglas’s work have been professionally produced in many countries worldwide, including South Korea where his debut play Our Bad Magnet ran for over 10 years. Douglas has taught playwriting in schools, theatres and universities around the world. He lives in Glasgow with his wife and two daughters. For more info, see www.douglasmaxwell.co.uk
Fees
The full fee for this online course is £360. A deposit of £100 is required to secure your place, which is non-refundable after a 14-day cooling-off period. The balance payment of £260 is due six weeks before the course begins.
Bursaries are available, and you also have the option to pay in instalments, please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk to enquire.
All activity takes place on Zoom, and workshops include a short break. Moniack Mhor staff will be on hand to support you during your course.
For more information please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Access
Please let us know in your booking form if you have any access requirements when working online so we can do our best to support you. For more information about access to our courses, please visit our Access page.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.