Playwriting - The Lir Academy

Course Overview

The theatrical landscape is constantly being moulded by theatre makers who are presenting original works or reimagining classics. Critical to this process is new writings and adaptations. The Master of Fine Art degree in Playwriting at The Lir Academy offers every student the opportunity to develop and hone their unique writing skill so that each play written is the best it can be.



Through a series of skills-based writing workshops and tutorials with professional playwrights, directors and a dramaturge, the individual voice of the student writer will be nurtured and developed. Classes in dramaturgy and contemporary theatre practice will supplement the training. The course will culminate in the writing of a full-length play for the stage. Excerpts of these final works are shared in a public event with an invited audience of industry professionals.



Students on the course will work in a dedicated space for writers in The Lir building. In addition to the core classes and workshops, individual tuition from The Lir’s dramaturge will be a key feature of the training. In addition, master classes by visiting practitioners will supplement the student experience.



The course is designed to complement the existing MFA Theatre Directing and the MFA Stage Design including Lighting Design, Costume Design and Set Design. Students on all three programmes will work together in collaboration, developing a shared understanding of contemporary theatre practice and a collective appreciation of the dedication and commitment required to make innovative performances happen.



Full-time students take Contemporary Theatre Practice (20 ECTS), Dramaturgy (20 ECTS), and Writing Workshop (20 ECTS) modules in the first two terms, and The Play (30 ECTS) module in the third term and subsequent summer months.

Year 1: Dramaturgy (20 ECTS); Writing Workshop (20 ECTS)

Year 2: Contemporary Theatre Practice (20 ECTS); The Play (30 ECTS)

The Play module will be taught by an ongoing series of individual tutorials.



Core modules include:

Contemporary Theatre Practice: Enables students to become conversant in the styles, forms, theories, and practices that constitute contemporary theatre making in Ireland.



Dramaturgy: Introduces students to a range of dramatic texts for the theatre or related media with an emphasis on the dramaturgical composition of those texts.



Writing Workshop: Students share their creative writing in a workshop format and receive both group feedback and individual tuition in the development of their craft.



Play: Individual supervision and showcase staged reading of a student’s full-length play.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fill out all the information required on the online form, which includes the submission of two references, one academic and a professional reference, copies of the transcripts of previously completed education levels, and a CV.



In addition, applicants are also required to upload a copy of the following documents separately, within the Additional Documents section:



a) Letter of Application: A letter that outlines the applicant’s theatre education and creative writing experience to date. This may also include experience in other areas of theatre. Please note, however, that applicants will require some playwriting experience to be accepted on to the course



b) Statement of Purpose: A statement outlining ambitions in terms of theatre writing. Applicants should include the role of theatre in their life, discuss their choice to follow playwriting as a career path, and demonstrate their ambition in completing further education. Applicants should also explore their ambitions in terms of creative writing style, form and medium.



c) A sample of writing in the form of a play (minimum 45 minutes reading time)



All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements for their application to be considered for shortlisting to the programme.

Closing Date: 31st March 2025

1 year Full Time

2 years Part Time

Next Intake: September 2025

Career Opportunities

This course is designed to equip students of exceptional talent with the skills necessary to pursue a career in theatre and related industries through the development of skills, professional practices and creative approaches to writing for performance.