If you have a bold, exciting idea for a new show or a work-in-progress that needs to be shared with an audience, EXPERIMENT is the strand for you. Designed to provide opportunities to publicly present new and emerging work to brilliant audiences in The Lab.
We can support your to develop and stage a work in progress sharing with a financial contribution, giving you the freedom to creatively explore your work and practice by trying new ideas in a safe space.
We platform two seasons of EXPERIMENT work in progress sharing in The Lab each year, offering you the opportunity to present your work to new audiences while receiving valuable support from our artistic and producing team.
Where experiments are held, connections are made, and stories begin.
The Lab is an underground 50-seat studio and workshop space. It is a home for the seeds of ideas, rooted in experimentation, and the growth of artists, communities, and their work.
We will platform emerging work across seasons, with guidance from our Associate Artistic Director and producing team, who will support the future life of new productions through feedback and conversation.
As well as being a space for performance, The Lab will also be a home for communities and young people to connect through opportunities that support their development and passion, from the ages of 0-100.
Coming up in The Lab…
EXPERIMENT Work In Progress Shows
Double Bill Dear Sisyphus & The Skeleton is White | EXPERIMENT Work In Progress
Dear Sisyphus by Saili Katebe (he/him) – A one-person spoken word theatre piece that reimagines Camus’ timeless myth through the lens of a modern mind wrestling with meaning, momentum, and the quiet absurdity of striving. Blending original poetry and monologue, this intimate performance invites the audience into a fractured inner landscape, where story becomes ritual, and language becomes resistance.
The Skeleton is White by Divija Melally (she/her) – A movement solo incorporating elements of South Asian Classical Dance and text to explore the stories that our bodies carry.
EXPERIMENT is strand of our work that provides paid opportunities for artists and companies to research, develop, and present bold emerging work in The Lab.
Date: Fri 17 Oct
Echolocation | EXPERIMENT Work In Progress
Ethan and Sadie are best friends who seem to have nothing in common. He’s an athlete, she’s an intellectual. He’s poor, she’s rich. His dad is out of the picture, her family is ridiculously overprotective. He’s sighted, she’s blind. They’re high school seniors preparing to start new lives at college, simultaneously thrilled and terrified for what the future holds. When Ethan discovers where he might find his father, the pair set off on a road trip to Yellowstone, but there’s more to their journey than meets the eye. Echolocation is a musical performed in pitch darkness, immersing audiences in a world they can’t see.
EXPERIMENT supports artists and companies with funding, research and development time, space in The Lab and the facility to present a public sharing of their work.
Date: Fri 14 Nov
MANBOX | EXPERIMENT Work In Progress
Dan Egg is a man, technically. Before that he was a boy, definitely. He went to an all boys catholic school, had an estranged relationship with his biological father and has since worked extensively with men who perpetrate abuse. Dan Egg believes our society has a problem with men, so is creating this solo show to unpack what went wrong, and find a better way of doing things.
EXPERIMENT supports artists and companies with funding, research and development time, space in The Lab and the facility to present a public sharing of their work.
Date: Fri 21 Nov
Productions for Young People
A Tale Of Us
A Tale of Us is a brand new play for parents and their babies. Join Ivy and her little one on a funny, frank and magical journey through their first year of life together. Blending drama and multi-sensory playtime in a relaxed and beautifully designed environment, this is a celebration of the wonder, joys and challenges of becoming a new parent.
After each performance there will be a guided Stay and Play session – a chance for everyone to explore the world of the show and meet other parents and babies.
Made for parents with children ages 0-18 months. Supported by Arts Council England.
Date: 30 – 31 Oct
A Star Who Danced
A sensory delight for 0-3 year olds, this non-verbal show will engage young audiences through beautiful dance, live music and light. The performance will end with space for further exploration, play and festive photos.
Date: 04 Dec–24 Dec
Research and Development Opportunities (R&D)
The EXPERIMENT strand of our Artist Development programme hosts an exciting opportunity for companies and artists to research, develop, and showcase new work.
Our unique programme offers financial contributions, and a space dedicated to the seeds of ideas and creativity, providing a platform for new voices and bold performances.
Do you have a brilliant and creative idea? Are you looking for a supportive environment to R&D bold, exciting and inclusive work? Or are you ready to share your work with a generous and engaged audience?
Join our mailing list to be the first to hear when our R&D and Programming window opens.
The 24 Hour Plays placed me directly in a time period that put together many visions and creativity in abundance in such a short space of time! The people I met from The 24 Hour Plays become and continue to be an important part of my work and are people who I value and trust in the development process.
Nia Powell, Writer and Theatre Maker on the EXPERIMENT programme
Explore all the strands of our Artist Development programme
