The Reading Room is a new monthly play-reading group co-hosted by Alphabetti Theatre and Live Theatre for theatre makers, playwrights, and creative freelancers based in Newcastle and the North East.

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We’ll meet once a month, alternating between Alphabetti and Live. In each session, we will focus on a 21st-century play that’s had a real impact on the UK or international theatre scene.

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The sessions will be led by JD Stewart and Ed Cole, who’ll choose the plays for the first few meetings. As we go, play suggestions from participants are very much encouraged – we want to know which plays and which playwrights you keep hearing about, keep meaning to read, or don’t quite get (but feel like you should).

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We are looking into ways of providing copies of the plays for each session, but in the meantime, participants will be asked to source their own.

The sessions will be informal but engaged. Everyone is invited to bring their creative brain into the room: to interrogate the writing, the form, the production context, the politics, and the craft. You don’t need specialist knowledge – just curiosity, generosity, a willingness to think out loud with other artists, and a love of plays.

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Sign-up is free, but places are limited.