24-Hour Play People

This month, Mike Bartlett’s new play, 13, opens at the National. It follows the success of his play Earthquakes in London. At Paines Plough, George Perrin and James Grieve unveil the prototype for a revolutionary new theatre space, a portable in-the-round auditorium. And, at the Arcola, Tom Atkins brings us How The World Began, which comes to London after a hit run in California.

The link between these may not be obvious, but it’s crucial. Like many of theatre’s fastest rising stars, each these gained vital career traction at the Old Vic’s now-legendary 24 Hour Plays, the boot camp that launches newcomers into the industry by giving them experience, contacts and confidence they wouldn’t get anywhere else.

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Druin Burch

Lucy Letby and the killer nurse I worked with

The premise is simple: writers, directors, actors and producers are given 24 hours to stage a short play on the Old Vic’s storied stage.