A LITTLE DIFFERENT
WORKSHOPS
A two-day practical development process bringing writers, actors and directors together to create, shape and perform new short pieces.
The workshops compress the wider ALD process into one experience: a piece is commissioned, written, developed, performed, redirected and performed again.
Why it's A Little Different
Writers are not asked to arrive with finished scripts. They respond to a pre-arranged creative commission shaped by the actors and directors who will eventually perform the work.
Actors and directors then receive newly written material created specifically from that brief, rather than working from a familiar published scene.
The second performance follows a redirect, allowing participants to see how quickly a piece can change when its creative terms are altered.
The emphasis is on collaboration across roles. Writers, actors and directors experience different stages of the same process rather than developing their work separately.
How it works
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Before the workshop weekend, actors and directors take part in a 30-minute online call with an ALD facilitator. During the session, each group develops a brief for an original one-page piece.
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The first day of the workshop is devoted to writing, with separate morning and afternoon groups. Morning-session writers respond to briefs created by the morning performers, while afternoon-session writers do the same for the afternoon performers.
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Once completed, the scripts are sent to the corresponding performers ahead of the second day, giving them time to familiarise themselves with the material and begin learning their lines. Writers are also welcome to attend the second day to observe how their work develops in performance.
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The second day focuses on rehearsal, direction and redirection. Each group prepares and presents an initial performance of their piece.
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The other directors in the session then propose a redirect, with guidance from the facilitator on how to make that direction clear, practical and creatively useful.
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Each group's director select the redirect they wish to incorporate, rework the piece in response and present it again, allowing everyone to see how a focused redirect can reshape the same material.
Who it's for
The workshops are intended for:
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writers who want to create material in response to a specific brief
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actors who want to develop new work from an early stage
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directors who want to shape unfamiliar material quickly
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theatre-makers interested in practical collaboration across disciplines
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participants who want experience giving and responding to creative direction
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people who want to test the full ALD process without committing to a longer production
Indicative details
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Planned from 2027
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Two-day format
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London rehearsal or theatre venue
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Original short pieces created during the workshop
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Separate writing and development stages
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Initial performance followed by a redirect and second performance
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Places for writers, actors and directors
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Final dates, group sizes and pricing to follow
Register your interest
To receive updates about ALD Theatre Workshop dates, pricing and applications, email:
Email:
Subject line: Workshop Session Interest