Intro to Playwriting with Aoife O’Connor
Info
Date: August 5, 2026
Time: 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm
Duration: 6 weeks
Level: Beginner |
Cost: €200 (€180 Members)
Location:
This course will take place in person on Wednesdays for 6 weeks. (6 Sessions total)
Find further information on our building access here.
Course Summary
Course Outline
Across six sessions, the course combines reading, discussion, and writing. It begins with an introduction to dramatic form and the essentials of writing for the stage, before moving into character and voice. Subsequent sessions focus on conflict and dramatic action, and the shaping of individual scenes. The final sessions centre on redrafting, with opportunities to share work and receive feedback. Short writing exercises will be set each week, both in class and, where possible, between sessions.
This practical course introduces the fundamentals of playwriting through the close reading of extracts from established plays. Participants will explore how playwrights shape character, structure scenes, and create dialogue for performance. Through guided exercises and discussion, you will begin to develop your own dramatic work in a supportive, workshop-style environment.
Course Outline
Across six sessions, the course combines reading, discussion, and writing. It begins with an introduction to dramatic form and the essentials of writing for the stage, before moving into character and voice. Subsequent sessions focus on conflict and dramatic action, and the shaping of individual scenes. The final sessions centre on redrafting, with opportunities to share work and receive feedback. Short writing exercises will be set each week, both in class and, where possible, between sessions.
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of the key elements of playwriting and how they function in practice. You will have produced a series of short exercises and developed at least one scene or extract. The course also aims to build confidence in discussing creative work and in approaching the editing and redrafting process.
Aoife O’Connor’s debut play In Vitro had a three-week sell-out run in Bewley’s Café Theatre this year. In Vitro previously had an eight-show run in the 2024 Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Her second play Pawn was shortlisted for Druid’s Debut Scripts. Pawn was recently shown as a work-in-progress supported by Axis Ballymun Theatre. Aoife has had twelve poems published across six anthologies and journals. She is a 2026 recipient of the Offaly Writer’s Residency Award. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from DCU with first-class honours in playwriting and poetry.
Booked out? To be added to the waiting list for this course, please email bookings@irishwriterscentre.ie.
