The Royal Welsh College’s NEW writing festival commissions four new plays each year, empowering its students as the next generation of creatives, collaborating with some of the UK’s top creative talent.
This year’s season, which premieres in Cardiff before transferring to London’s Young Vic theatre, speaks to the world today, focusing on human endeavour versus political challenges.
Expect fresh voices, thrilling stories, and the future of theatre – now
Now in its second decade, NEW is a unique initiative that brings together some of the UK’s leading theatre-makers to work with its graduating Acting, Design for Performance and Stage Management students and deliver ambitious and innovative writing.
NEW ‘25: Samuel Bailey working with director Ned Bennett, Vivienne Franzmann with director Lucy Morrison, Dipo Baruwa-Etti, directed by Zoë Templeman Young, in collaboration with Paines Plough, and Lisa Parry, directed by Sara Lloyd, in collaboration with the Sherman Theatre.
‘Working with some of the most exciting contemporary voices currently working in the UK, our students collaborate with practitioners at the forefront of their industry,’ said Jonathan Munby, RWCMD’s Director of Drama Performance.
‘It gives our emerging artists an extraordinary learning opportunity while offering established practitioners a supported, creatively open space to explore new ideas. No other drama school commissions on this scale or is working with this breadth of writing talent, contributing a diverse and provocative body of work for a new generation of performers.
Expect fresh voices, thrilling stories, and the future of theatre—now.’
‘We are incredibly excited to be hosting the RWCMD’s festival: the ingenious combination of some of the UK’s most exciting directors and playwrights working together with the Colleges talented young actors promises to be a dynamite collaboration.
I’m certain we’re going to witness some very powerful new theatre as a result. ‘
Nadia Fall, Artistic Director, Young Vic Theatre
‘The indispensable NEW festival’
With the continued support of Paines Plough and the Sherman Theatre, NEW has produced over 44 plays since its first season in 2014, putting RWCMD and Wales on the map for new theatre writing, and helping to shape the future of theatre:
‘We’re so excited to link up again with RWCMD to create this new piece with Dipo Baruwa-Etti, whose voice we’ve admired for a long time. Paines Plough and RWCMD have always been about giving space for the best new writing and for emerging artists to grow, and this shared goal comes alive every year at the indispensable NEW Festival.
We can’t wait to see this year’s cohort flourish under the spell of Dipo’s words and Zoë ‘s direction.’
Paines Plough’s Joint Artistic Directors Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner.
NEW ‘25
https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/whats-on/our-events/new-25
‘An Armed Robbery in a Petrol Station off the A38’ by Samuel Bailey, whose debut sell-out play, ‘Shook’, won The Times Breakthrough Award in 2021, shows the struggles of everyday life when the unexpected occurs.
Director Ned Bennett, returns to NEW having directed one of its first plays in 2014.
‘Into the Light’ is by the award-winning playwright Vivienne Franzmann, who has worked as a Resident Playwright working in women’s prisons, secure mental health and community settings. Directed by Lucy Morrison, previously Associate Director at the Royal Court, it interweaves a series of vignettes into a patchwork of contemporary stories.
‘Children of the West’by playwright, poet and filmmaker Dipo Baruwa-Etti is a grounded dystopian drama, exploring love, parenthood, and free will. It’s directed by Zoe Templeman-Young, a former Jerwood Assistant Director at the Young Vic, and produced in partnership with Paines Plough. Both Dipo and Zoë are current shortlisted directors for the 2025 JMK Award celebrating enterprise, vision and inspiration.
‘Salem,’ the Sherman Theatre collaboration is written by playwright, screenwriter and audio writer Lisa Parr anddirected by Sara Lloyd,former Associate Director at Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. It dramatises a true Welsh story, exploring the decolonisation of Welsh art, and underlines the question, can we prescribe a work of art’s meaning.
Following NEW ‘25 the College’s Design for Performance exhibition, ‘Balance’ opens in its Linbury Gallery 18-24 June, and at Young Vic from 1 – 4 July, celebrating the work of both the individual creative design practitioner and the collaborative artist.
‘Balance’ showcases the work of graduating designers and stage management students, featuring designs created in the last two years for productions, projects and films.
Editor’s Notes:
‘An Armed Robbery in a Petrol Station off the A38’
Writer Samuel Bailey
Director Ned Bennett
RWCMD:
Sat 31 May, Wed 4 Jun, 2pm. Tue 3, Thu 5 Jun, 7pm
Young Vic Theatre:
Wed 11, Fri 13 June, 2pm. Thu 12, Sat 14 June, 6pm
‘Salem’
Writer Lisa Parry
Director Sara Lloyd
In collaboration with Sherman Theatre
RWCMD
Tue 3, Thu 5 Jun, 2pm. Sat 31 May, Wed 4 Jun, 7pm
Young Vic Theatre:
Wed 11, Fri 13 June, 6pm. Thu 12, Sat 14 June, 2pm
‘Children of the West’
Writer Dipo Baruwa-Etti
Director Zoë Templeman-Young
In collaboration with Paines Plough
RWCMD:
Sat 31 May, Tue 3 Jun, 2.15pm.
Fri 30 May, Mon 2 Jun, 7.15pm.
Young Vic Theatre:
Wed 18 & Fri 20 Jun, 2pm. Thu 19 & Sat 21 Jun, 6pm
‘Into the Light’
Writer Vivienne Franzmann
Director Lucy Morrison
RWCMD:
Fri 30 May, Mon 2 Jun, 2.15pm
Sat 31 May, Tue 3 Jun, 7.15pm.
Young Vic Theatre:
Wed 18, Fri 20 Jun, 6pm. Thu 19, Sat 21 Jun, 2pm
https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/whats-on/our-events/new-25
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