Paines Plough is a touring theatre company founded in 1974, currently led by Artistic Directors Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner.
The company exclusively commissions and produces new plays and helps playwrights develop their craft.
Over the past four decades, Paines Plough has established itself as a leading new writing company producing work by a wide range of playwrights across the UK and abroad. Collaboration with other theatre organisations is a vital feature of the company’s work and since 2010 the company has co-produced every show they've worked on with either a venue or a touring partner.
In 2005, Paines Plough launched Future Perfect in conjunction with Channel 4. The scheme is a year-long attachment for emerging playwrights. Writers who have taken part include Lizzie Nunnery,[1]Tom Morton-Smith and Duncan Macmillan.[2]
In October 2010, the company won a TMA award for special achievement in regional theatre.[3]
History
Paines Plough was formed in 1974 over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub by playwright David Pownall[4] and director John Adams.
For over 40 years the company has commissioned, produced and toured new plays all over Britain and internationally.
In 2019 Artistic Directors Katie Posner and Charlotte Bennett were approached by Ellie Keel with the idea to create an award for female playwrights, to recognise these figures in the theatre world. The three launched the Women's Prize for Playwriting at the end of that year and have continued to support it ever since.[5]
Roundabout is Paines Plough's touring in-the-round auditorium. Roundabout was designed by Lucy Osborne[6] and Emma Chapman[7] in collaboration with Charcoalblue[8] and Howard Eaton.[9] It was built and developed by Factory Settings.[10]
In 2010, Roundabout was commissioned, with a prototype built in 2011 with Sheffield Theatres. The opening season of Roundabout consisted of three new plays performed in repertory One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne, Lungs by Duncan Macmillan and The Sound of Heavy Rain by Penelope Skinner.
At the end of 2015, Paines Plough were granted money as part of Arts Council England's Strategic Touring Fund to tour Roundabout from 2016 to 2018 with seven nationwide partner venues: The Civic in Barnsley, Margate Theatre Royal, RevoLuton, Hall For Cornwall, The Lowry, Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal and Appetite in Stoke. They will each receive a repertory of three new plays commissioned and produced by Paines Plough and partners.
The Roundabout plays for 2016 are Love, Lies and Taxidermy by Alan Harris, Growth by Luke Norris and I Got Superpowers for My Birthday by Katie Douglas.
