As the UK’s national theatre of new plays with the playwright always at the heart of everything we do, Paines Plough widely tours world premiere productions and offers bespoke development support to playwrights.
Paines Plough was founded in 1974. It was named after the beer its founders were drinking (Paines bitter) and the pub in which they were drinking it (The Plough) at the moment the company was conceived.
Over the past 37 years, 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.
Founder John Adams handed the Artistic Directorship to John Chapman in 1982. Pip Broughton succeeded in 1985, followed by Anna Furse (1990), Penny Ciniewicz (1994), Vicky Featherstone (1997) and Roxana Silbert (2005).
The current Artistic Directors James Grieve and George Perrin took up post on 1 February 2010.
What next?
We're going to do more plays, in more places, more regularly to ensure Paines Plough is a truly national theatre of new plays. Whether you're in Liverpool or Luton or Lincoln; Nottingham, Newcastle or Newbury; Bristol, Brighton or Belfast, a Paines Plough show will be in a theatre near you soon.
To see where we'll be this year, check out our Current Programme.
