Here we are, nearly halfway through 2026, and Pentabus Theatre has not just one, not two, but three amazing pieces of news that I am really excited to share today!
The first piece of news is the announcement of the Pentabus’ local Young Writers Showcase, Raw.
Each year, Pentabus’ Young Writers showcase takes on a new identity and this year, it’s RAW. A bold celebration of new writing, RAW brings together eight brand new plays by young, emerging writers from the West Midlands and The Marches, directed and performed by industry professionals. The showcase will be professionally staged at Ludlow Assembly Rooms on the 8th and 9th of July.
This showcase is the culmination of the year-long Local Young Writers Programme, which has a strong track record of nurturing talent that goes on to award-winning careers.
The programme features eight short plays by this year’s cohort, which includes Charlotte Brimer, Eilidh Carver, Jenny Hill, Ilina Jha, Crystal Marshall, Ella Niblett, Andred Rhys and Daniel Shakespeare.
Previous young writers have gone on to achieve Olivier award nominations, Royal Court commissions, award-winning Edinburgh Fringe shows, as well as writing for ITV, Film4 and BBC Radio 4. With that being said, this showcase is a fantastic chance to experience the next generation of playwrights at the very start of their journey; fresh, fearless and full of original perspective. Not only is it hugely important to support new writing in theatre, but also bearing in mind the successes of the previous writers, this upcoming showcase could be the start of really exciting careers for these writers!
Crystal Marshall, one of the writers whose work will be featured in this showcase, commented, ‘This is the first play I have ever written, and although I’m nervous about how it’s going to be received – I’m super excited to see how it resonates with people’.
Daniel Shakespeare, another one of the writers, has said, ‘It’s so inspiring to see the incredible talent in the area, and a privilege to be counted amongst them. We’re going to put on a great show; probing, eclectic and exciting in a way only live theatre can be!’ whilst Andred Rhys stated that ‘Pentabus has been such a lovely, supportive environment to explore writing for theatre. I can’t wait to see audiences experience the worlds and stories we’ve created!’.
The Young Writers Showcase is a vibrant celebration of diverse local voices, exploring their unique perspectives on the world.
You can find out more about how Pentabus supports new talent and how you can get involved in future Pentabus Young Writers Programmes here: https://pentabus.co.uk/young-writers
You can get tickets for the upcoming Young Writers Showcase to see some fantastic new writing from these young writers here: https://pentabus.co.uk/raw
The Youth Theatre Show is the next thing I am excited to be sharing about Pentabus today. Tuesday will be Pentabus’s first-ever Youth Theatre production, with an ensemble of 18 young performers, featuring some of Shropshire’s brightest young stars.
The play will be open for the public to attend, running for one day only, on the 13th June at the Ludlow Assembly rooms
Tuesday is a play from Alison Carr, and it is funny, playful and a little bit sci-fi. The show delves into themes of friendship, identity, loneliness and responsibility. Most importantly, it’s a play for anyone who’s ever had their lives turned upside down. Something I am sure we can all relate to, one way or another.
About this upcoming show, Pentabus Youth Theatre Co-Directors, Emma Morgan and Ella Niblett, have commented:
‘We are absolutely thrilled to present Pentabus’ first ever Youth Theatre production. A year of high-quality acting training has culminated in this show, and we have been so impressed by the talent on display from our young actors. Watching young people discover the magic of theatre in a rural space is so important and we’re incredibly honoured to be a part of that. This production of Tuesday proves, without a doubt, that there is a wealth of young talent in Shropshire and we cannot wait for people to see the show.’
Tuesday was originally commissioned for the 2020 National Theatre Connections Festival, featuring plays written specifically for young performers. This is an amateur production by arrangement with Nick Hern Books. The show will run for just one day only, on the 13th June, so if you want to see some new, young performers bring this play to life, you don’t have long.
You can get tickets for Tuesday here: https://pentabus.co.uk/tuesday#tickets
The final piece of news I am sharing today is that Pentabus have opened applications for the next Jerwood Writer in Residence!
Top row: Simon Longman, Joe White, Tim Foley, Sophie Ellerby.
Middle row: Tom Powell, Florence Espeut-Nickless, Henry Maddicott, Laura Waldren.
Bottom row: Liv Hennessy, Sid Sagar, Rhys Warrington (current Writer In Residence). Photo credits to original owners. Image used with permission.
It feels like just yesterday, I was announcing that applications were open for this for 2026, and yet here we are already a year on, and applications are open again! If you want to read my post about last year’s application, you can read it here.
This is the third year the programme will be running, thanks to the Jerwood Foundation, which kindly supports the programme with annual funding of £20,000. This funding includes a £12,000 bursary for an early-career playwright, providing the opportunity to spend between six months and a year writing with Pentabus in Ludlow, South Shropshire. During their time with Pentabus, the recipient will be supported to write at least one new full-length play or piece of theatre, whilst gaining insight into how a professional theatre company works. The remaining £8,000 of Jerwood Foundation’s annual support contributes to the process of identifying, developing and supporting the writer throughout the programme, including accommodation and travel costs.
The 2027 Jerwood Writer in Residence will be the 12th writer in residence that Pentabus has hosted, all of whom have gone on to achieve various awards and success, so whoever the chosen applicant is, the world really is their oyster, and who knows where their writing will lead them!
The current Jerwood Writer in Residence at Pentabus is Rhys Warrington. He was previously part of Pentabus’ National Young Writers’ Programme (2022–23), and his new play MONUMENT is set to premiere in a co-production between the Royal Court Theatre and Sherman Theatre in December 2026, as part of the Royal Court’s 70th Anniversary Season.
About this process, Rhys Warrington commented:
‘Being this year’s Jerwood Writer in Residence at Pentabus is EVERYTHING I’d hoped it would be and more. To have the space and time to dream up and write a brand new play, and to do that alongside such a wonderful, warm, generous team of people, is a genuine gift. I’m already discovering things about the play I’m writing, and even more than that, about myself as a writer, that I simply wouldn’t have found otherwise. And to top it all off, Ludlow is absolutely gorgeous. I implore everyone to apply!’
Previous writers include Sid Sagar and Liv Hennessy (2024/25), Laura Waldren and Henry Maddicott (2023), Florence Espuet-Nickless (2021/22), Tom Powell (2020/21), Sophie Ellerby (2018/19), Tim Foley (2017), Joe White (2016) and Simon Longman (2015).
Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial is a play from Liv Hennessey, one of the previous writers. I actually saw this play with my mum, and we both came out raving about what a great piece of theatre it was. Hennessey then went on to be Olivier Award-nominated for that very play – and what a deserved nomination it was! Tom Powell, another previous writer, wrote the play The Silence & the Noise, which I reviewed on this very website (you can read the review here), won the 2021 Papatango Prize. This really goes to show that everyone starts somewhere, and one can never predict where their writing and imagination can lead them.
If you’re thinking of applying, here are some essential key dates for the 2027 Jerwood Writer in Residence application process:
- Application Deadline: Monday the 29th June 2026 at 10 am.
- Shortlist Interviews 1: Week commencing the 30 November 2026.
- Shortlist Interviews 2: Week commencing the 11 January 2027 (in-person at Pentabus).
The chosen applicant will start their residency in Spring 2027, and there will be a period of overlap with Warrington, who is the current Writer in Residence.
Pentabus Executive Director Verity Overs-Morrell added:
‘We are truly delighted that the Jerwood Foundation are supporting a third Jerwood Writer in Residence and our 12th Writer in Residence overall. The Writer in Residence is the beating heart of our company, so being able to continue the programme into 2027 with this support is truly wonderful. It would not be possible without the extraordinary philanthropic vision and generosity of the Jerwood Foundation.’
Lara Wardle, Jerwood Foundation Executive Director and Trustee, said:
‘Jerwood Foundation has renewed its partnership with Pentabus to enable a continuation of its leading Jerwood Writer in Residence programme which offers emerging playwrights’ valuable opportunities to develop their writing and reflects Jerwood Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting excellence and emerging talent in the arts.’
If you want to find out more and are thinking of applying, you can do so here: https://pentabus.co.uk/artists/jf-writer-residence-applications
The Jerwood Writer in Residence scheme is always so exciting, and based on the brilliant work from previous years, I cannot wait to see what happens with the next successful applicant’s writing.
And there we go! Plenty of Pentabus news and some absolutely fantastically exciting things happening. The support Pentabus Theatre dedicates to new writing, young creatives, and offering opportunities to make creativity and the arts more accessible for all is absolutely amazing and something to be celebrated.
You can find out more about Pentabus here: https://pentabus.co.uk/
One Show at a Time 