Author: Mike Heath
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What is a Digital Writing Retreat? (And 5 Focus Tips for Writers)
Do you get easily distracted while writing? Do you have a piece you’re desperate to write but can’t find the time? Are you struggling to get to the heart of the matter? These are all common problems for writers of all experience, which is why writing retreats are so popular. But, they’re super-expensive, setting you…
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The story of Born in the USA – the play, not the album!
It started with watching the telly. Many things do. My friend Martin Jameson frequently begins our conversations with ‘Have you seen………?’ and, invariably, the answer is no. So when he asked me if I’d seen the HBO series The Vietnam War, written by Ken Burns, the answer was a typical ‘no’. So I watched it. It was not an easy watch. The…
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Plotting the Kill: Thriller Structure for the Stage
How to Build Suspense, Surprise, and Emotional Stakes in Live Performance Thrillers thrive on tension, misdirection, and the slow drip of dread. But unlike film or fiction, theatre demands a different kind of suspense—one that unfolds in real time, with limited space, live actors, and no edits. The audience is right there, breathing with the…
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How to Write a Thriller for the Stage: Craft, Suspense, and the Art of Unease
As the nights draw in, October offers the perfect climate for theatrical thrillers—stories that thrive on tension, concealment, and the slow drip of dread. But if you’re wondering how to write a thriller for the stage, it’s a good idea to take a look at what has gone before us. For playwrights, the thriller is…
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Digital Writing Retreat: Thriller Writing for Theatre
This Halloween weekend, while the rest of the world slips into costume and chaos, WriteForTheStage invites you to something a little different. Escape from the chaos and the costumes with our first-ever digital playwriting retreat, dedicated to the art of thriller writing. If you joined one of our Summer Schools, you’ll know the rhythm—morning workshops, evening readings,…
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Writing the Duet: How to Craft a Compelling Two-Hander Play
There’s a unique magic in writing a two-hander. Two characters, one space, and no distractions — just dialogue, subtext, and the emotional tightrope that binds them. It’s the most intimate of theatrical forms, and also, in many ways, the most exposing. There’s nowhere to hide — for the writer or the characters. I’ve always been…
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The Big Things – a long-awaited revival at GMFringe 2025
16th, 17th & 23rd July 2025Kings Arms Theatre, Salford When we speak about the big things in life, we often imagine dramatic, seismic events—the moments that define who we are. But sometimes, the truly life-changing things slip by quietly: a pause in conversation, the smell of toast in the morning, a glance across a crowded…
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Big Impact, Small Cast: Why Two- and Three-Handers Pack a Theatrical Punch
In an era when theatres are tightening belts and companies are looking for creative ways to do more with less, the virtue of plays with a small cast is clearer than ever. As a writer, director, and teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how two- and three-hander plays generate not just lean productions but rich, emotionally charged…
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Playwriting tips: The Power of Silence in Theatre
In playwriting, we often become fixated on words—on their rhythm, their subtext, their ability to push the narrative forward. But theatre is not just about dialogue. In fact, some of the most electrifying moments in a play happen when nothing is said at all. Silence is where the subtext lives. It’s the space between words…
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What happens at a playwriting summer school?
Find out all about the WriteForTheStage playwriting summer schools running from June to Aug this year.