Join us for a Writing Workshop Series led by the talented Alice K Stephens, designed to guide you through every step of developing your own fringe theatre show.

Across five sessions in the Lakeside Theatre Studio, Alice will guide you through how to create your own fringe theatre show. From the first idea to the finished product, you’ll explore key aspects of developing a show with practical steps and support.

Free to attend for University of Essex members, though spaces are limited so do book your space each week!

Week 1 – How to begin developing a fringe show
Wednesday 12 November

A look at five approaches you can take to create a fringe show with examples (new writing, devising, solo shows, clowning and physical theatre, and a mixed form approach such as incorporating dance, music, or stand-up). We’ll also discuss what to consider when choosing a theme for your show.

Week 2 – Creating strong characters
Wednesday 19 November

We’ll look at techniques you can use to flesh out characters, and, importantly, how to use characters as devices to drive a plot. We’ll do this by discussing what our characters want, what’s stopping them from achieving what they want, and what might they have to do to overcome this hurdle. We’ll also look at archetypes through several storytelling frameworks.

Week 3 – Plot and structure
Wednesday 26 November

This week focuses on how to structure your piece with a three-act structure of a beginning, middle, and end. We’ll explore the purpose of each of these stages of the story, using Todorov’s narrative theory as the backbone of this explainer.

Week 4 – How to write good
Wednesday 3 December

We’ll cover some of the basic guidelines for creative writing, such as show rather than tell, focus on concrete nouns rather than adverbs, and avoiding mediations. We’ll also look at how to manage dramatic tension within the structure of each scene and the role of the audience. Finally, we’ll explore the idea of ‘finding the keel’, when you realise your piece isn’t about what you first thought, and the story itself begins to guide your rewrite.

Week 5 – The business of fringe
Wednesday 10 December

All about the theatre maker as a producer in the contemporary fringe scene. We’ll discuss the costs of producing a show, and how to face up to that with a limited budget and fundraising. We will consider how to market your show and put together a press pack. And finally, we’ll discuss the importance of looking out for yourself and your team during production.