Part of See It First 2026.
For After Sunday writer Sophia Griffin, playwriting is about meeting characters where they are in their lives and in their messy, funny, tender, complex ways.
In this workshop, participants will join Sophia in exploring how to build a storytelling approach built on empathy and truthfulness. They will discover how to write characters whose journeys drive the arc of the play to create compelling new moments of theatre.
Participants should bring a tip or an exercise they use to develop characters to share with the group.
Biography
Sophia Griffin is a writer, theatremaker and proud Brummie. She is particularly interested in character driven stories and exploring themes of family, culture and the impact of absence. Sophia’s debut play After Sunday, a Belgrade Theatre and Bush Theatre co-production won an Off West End award and Sophia was nominated for the Most Promising Playwright Award at the 2026 Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards.
As well as writing, Sophia works to develop opportunities and improve infrastructure for artists in the West Midlands. She is the co-founder of Writer’s Block, a scratch night for artists to test out early ideas for the stage and is interested in creating spaces where process is as important as the end result.
Please note, places for the workshop are limited so early booking is advised.
We recognise that the cost of this workshop could be a financial barrier. Therefore we have a limited number of free places available – no questions asked! If you’d like to request a free space please contact communityadmin@belgrade.co.uk with the subject line “Free place – [workshop name]” at least 2 working days before the workshop.
We are committed to reducing any barriers as much as possible to D/deaf, Disabled & Neurodiverse artists taking up this opportunity. If you have any access requirements, please contact Emma Worrall, Assistant Producer, by email at communityadmin@belgrade.co.uk to discuss. Alternatively, you can call 024 7684 6718. Please give us as much as notice as you can.