Write Tomorrow’s

Classics

We are Headlong

50 years of thrilling stories, brilliant nights out, collaborating and taking risks.

We're not your usual theatre. We excel in surprises, innovation, and pushing boundaries.

Funding cuts and rising costs mean the future of theatre is uncertain. In these difficult times more than ever, nurturing future artists is vital. 

We're committed to the next 50 years; nurturing directors and writers to make the best plays for stages around the country.

Commissioning, supporting emerging artists and mounting productions are critical parts of the theatre ecology, putting money in the pockets of writers, creatives and skilled technicians to reward their bravery and brilliance and to prevent them from leaving the sector. We want to continue to make exciting new work but our costs are ever increasing and we need the support of generous theatre lovers to turn brilliant ideas into fully fledged productions which inspire national audiences.

Whether you can give £10,000 or £50 - every donation will help us fulfil our mission to craft and deliver the best plays.

Join us in shaping impactful theatre.

Support options

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Join the New Work Circle - £5,000

Headlong’s New Work Circle gives a small group of supporters the chance to get close to all our new writing, from commission to stage.

Get in touch

SUPPORT A COMMISSION - £10,000

You would be guaranteeing one writer a Headlong commission which could change their career or even the face of theatre as we know it.

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  • A young man with short brown hair and light skin sitting at a table, wearing a patterned shirt, indoors with blurred windows in the background.

    James Graham

    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.

  • Portrait of a woman with short curly hair against a pink and purple gradient background.

    Lydia West

    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. 

  • Black and white portrait of a man with short hair and a beard, wearing a collared shirt, looking at the camera

    duncan macmillan

    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.

  • Close-up portrait of a man with dark skin, short curly hair, and a full beard, wearing a light gray shirt, looking directly at the camera.

    Sule Rimi

    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.

  • A woman with long dark hair styled back, wearing a pink blazer with a decorative pin, silver drop earrings, and a silver ring, posing against a pink background.

    Mei Mac

    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.

  • A close-up of a young man with messy, light brown hair, blue eyes, and a slight smile, wearing a white t-shirt and an unbuttoned light brown shirt, against a clear sky background.

    Johnny Flynn

    Current commission

    Headlong have been amazing every step of the way. Supportive and adaptable. Kind and inspiring. It’s 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.

  • A portrait of a woman with short black hair and a neutral expression, wearing a light-colored zip-up top, against a dark gray background.

    Moi Tran

    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.

  • Portrait of a man with glasses wearing a striped red and black sweater over a light gray button-up shirt, against a dark background.

    Sami Ibrahim

    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.

  • Portrait of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black sweater, sitting in front of a light wooden wall, looking directly at the camera with her chin resting on her hand.

    Laura Lomas

    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."

  • A young person with short dark hair, light skin, green eyes, and earrings wearing a dark plaid shirt looking directly at the camera.

    Charlie Josephine

    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.

  • Close-up portrait of a Black man with short curly hair and a beard, wearing a light gray zip-up sweater, looking at the camera with a neutral expression against a gray background.

    Rhashan Stone

    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.

  • Close-up of a man with short brown hair and a slight smile, standing outdoors against a rocky background.

    Robert MacFarlane

    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.

  • A young woman with short brown hair wearing a black speckled blazer and white shirt, sitting at a table with an open notebook, in a classroom or meeting room.

    Cordelia Lynn

    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.