A theatre programme is marking six months of nurturing creative voices from underrepresented communities.
Shire Stories is a two-year literary department project designed to uncover untold stories from Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire through scriptwriting workshops and development opportunities.
Since launching in February 2026, the programme has partnered with The Monday Night Club in Worcester, which supports adults with learning difficulties or autism.
The 10-week workshop series concluded with a showcase of scenes devised by participants and performed at the end of April.
Julia Bentley, intern facilitator at Shire Stories, said: “It has been lovely to see the progress made through The Monday Night Club workshops with Shire Stories.
“Each week we create a scene, for example, being with participants’ favourite person or listening to their favourite song and introduce a small problem or twist.
“It is all quite light-hearted and humorous for everyone taking part, we want our workshops to be fun as well as inspiring.”
As part of its wider programming, Shire Stories will present Tiny Plays, Big Ideas at Swan Studio on Sunday, May 24, an evening showcase of short plays in development, written by emerging playwrights from across the West Midlands.
The plays include Waiting Time by Jonathan Campbell, Searching for Sarah by Sarah Cole, Socially Distant by Dan Able, Me Is A God by Craig Norman and Geoffrey with a G by Helen Sanders.
Geoffrey with a G is a dark comedy about Jackie, a young woman who is visited by the very real manifestation of her grief, a middle-aged man named Geoffrey, shortly after losing her partner.
Me Is A God follows Samuel/Gideon as he revisits people affected by a crime he committed, specifically a school shooting in the UK.
Socially Distant is a drama set in a student house in suburban Bristol during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, exploring addiction, domestic abuse and toxic masculinity.
Searching for Sarah tells the story of two strangers, Sarah and Tony, who meet by chance at a quiet seaside café on a stormy November morning.
Waiting Time is a darkly comic social drama about Alex, a former tech entrepreneur whose life unravels after betrayal, bankruptcy and a terminal brain tumour diagnosis.
Tickets are £8 plus a transaction fee on the Worcester Theatres website or through Box Office on 01905 611 427.
Recommended for ages 14+ due to strong language and references to violence in some performances.
