How to… Write Dialogue
A workshop with Simon Stephens
Pop-Up Space, Pier Street
Tickets (£4-8)
Sat 18 July
2.30pm
Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens is a celebrated playwright and screenwriter whose writing is distinguished by its emotional resonance, intelligence and tenderness, and by his ability to reveal the extraordinary in the most ordinary of lives. He is renowned for his outstanding stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time, directed by his long‑term collaborator Marianne Elliott, which went on to win multiple Olivier and Tony Awards and has since been produced internationally. His Olivier Award‑winning Vanya, starring Andrew Scott, played at the Lucille Lortel, and An Ark recently opened at The Shed – the first play written for Augmented Reality.
Simon has been an Associate at the Royal Court and a Resident Artist at the Lyric Hammersmith. He has presented three series of the Royal Court Playwright’s Podcast, and his book A Working Diary is published by Methuen. He is currently Professor of Scriptwriting at Manchester Metropolitan University and an Associate Professor at the Danish National School of the Performing Arts in Copenhagen. His screen work includes the screenplay for Dive, and his adaptation of Astrid Lindgren’s Brothers Lionheart is in development with Thomas Vinterberg to direct for MediaRes.
How to… Write Dialogue
Writing dialogue is one of the hardest and most important skills a writer can master. In this practical workshop, you'll explore what makes dialogue feel alive, what the difference is between real speech and on-stage speech, and how rhythm and silence can offer as much insight as the words themselves.
This session will help you craft scenes that reveal character, drive story and leap off the page. You'll leave with new tools to make your dialogue sing.
This workshop will take place in the pop-up space on Pier Street.
Access
Wheelchair user and companion tickets are available to book through our online box office.
If you have any other access requirements, please add them to the "Access requirements” box at checkout.
The Pop-Up Space on Pier Street includes level access and an accessible toilet. For information about the wider festival, see our Access page.