Current commission

I owe Headlong a lot. And I know how tough it is out there for writers at the moment who don’t have the opportunities that I had when I was early career.

Actor in A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction

I did my stage debut with a Headlong play so will forever be grateful for commissioning such an amazing piece of writing and letting me tell that story on such an iconic stage. New stories/writing is an integral part of artists existing and audiences feeling seen. Minority writers help so many people, including myself, feel like we have a voice and platform and contemporary writing allows the younger generation to feel inspired and hopeful for the future. 

Past commission

There is no other company like Headlong. It occupies a unique and vital part of our cultural ecosystem - empowering playwrights to graduate from studio spaces into the main houses with ambitious plays on contemporary themes, and taking that work nationally and internationally. I can't think of another company that is both so artist-led and audience-focused - with never any compromise between the two.

Actor in Jitney

Why are new stories so important? These stories reflect, most accurately, the times we're living in. They document and update our narratives, showing a diverse set of opinions and a cross-sectional representation of society. This helps to inform the future, allowing people who see this play next year, in the next decade, or even 100 years from now, to understand what's actually happening now. The creative perspective on current affairs has always been an important segment of the overall view of what's going on in the world.

Actor in Untitled F*ck M*ss S**gon Play

I could go on all day about the importance of new writing. That’s the beauty of it. New voices addressing current issues in our society need to be supported, even though they're not as easily bankable as stories or shows with a historic legacy. They are just as important. The point of art is to provoke, make people think, and make them feel. I'm glad that a company with such a legacy as Headlong is still investing in new writing and new voices because, without it, art as a whole would suffer, and we wouldn't see fresh work and ideas being nurtured.

Current commission

Headlong have been amazing every step of the way. Supportive and adaptable. Kind and inspiring. Its no wonder their work is some of the most dynamic and boundary-pushing on British stages - they empower their writers to be bold at every step.

Past artist in residence

New narratives are integral to the constant learning we must continue to make about the world we inhabit, the symbiotic relationships we build and the expansion of our consciousness and empathy. Headlong champions creatives who commit their lives to centering new and revised narratives in front of audiences, this is something to be celebrated.

Current commission

It’s been such a joy working with Headlong to develop new work. From the off, I’ve been encouraged to embrace the strangest or riskiest ideas and it’s been such a fulfilling process being supported to follow those instincts through to the end. I feel like my work has been handled with a load of rigour but also a load of patience - which is exactly what a play needs when it’s in those fragile early stages.

Past commission

I've found the process of having a play commissioned and produced by Headlong to be one of the best and most creatively rewarding experiences of my career. At each step they have both backed and pushed the work, offering readings to deeply interrogate the text, and workshops to explore its theatrical potential. Not only do they challenge playwrights to be bold and innovative with the cannon, they also nurture writers to create classics of the future. Headlong are a vital and visionary force in the new writing culture of this country."

Past writer in residence

I love Headlong. They're beautiful humans making brilliant theatre, in a kind and collaborative way. They're passionate about not only the work they make but how they make it. And what impact they leave on the Earth, the artists and audiences. I was lucky enough to be their Writer In Residence for a year. And I'm currently writing a play for them. I hope to work with Headlong loads.

Current writer in residence

Working with the team at Headlong reminds me why I entered this profession in the first place. How collaboration is placed at the forefront of everything we do excites me. As writer in residence, I’m cherishing the learning and the opportunities coming my way. At a time when theatres are closing their literary departments, Headlong's commitment to commissioning new work is vital. Audiences love to see classic plays, but we also have to create new classics for future generations. I’m genuinely proud to be a part of this endeavour.

Current commission

Working with Headlong has been a writer's dream. Johnny Flynn and I couldn't have felt more supported through the process of moving from page to stage; we've especially benefited from the detailed notes and engagement with the evolving script offered by Frank Peschier, Headlong's Literary Manager.

Current commission

Headlong has been integral to my career, having backed my writing with commissions as both an emerging and a mid-career writer. They excel at enabling playwrights to engage with great canonical works via adaptation, and trust younger artists to be bold and ambitious and discover their voices. Headlong is essential to the new writing scene across the UK.