The workshop will run for sixteen weeks in the spring (Thurs, 25 Feb through 10 June, 2010) and fourteen weeks in the autumn (Thurs, 16 Sept through 16 Dec, 2010) from 7 to 9 p.m. in the John Thaw Suite at the Actors Centre. It offers a forum for developing libretti through group discussion and feedback as your work evolves over an ongoing period.

After an initial discussion of building blocks for strong story development and the dissection of a ‘classic’ musical book, the first term will focus on assignments, which all participants will be expected to present in front of the group, to practice basic tenets of craft and to practise giving - and receiving - helpful feedback from the group. This is a lab where all participants can feel safe to test and re-test work to a finished level.

The second term will be more free-form, nurturing participants’ projects from a very early stage as they progress, pitching to or getting pitched by possible collaborators, and perhaps developing a group project.

It is hoped this will be the beginning of a permanent lab for the ongoing development of new, strong, vibrant, British musicals.