30 April 2025
Marco Gandolfi
A bold new theatrical initiative comes to life on Tuesday 17th June 2025, as Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot hosts Plays for the People – a one-day event that fuses performance, activism, and community empowerment.
Led by award-winning theatre-makers Andy Smith and Lynsey O’Sullivan, the event invites up to 150 attendees from across the education, arts, and community sectors to explore theatre not just as an art form, but as a vehicle for social change. Across the day, three innovative, participatory plays will be performed and explored – each tackling a major socio-political issue: climate change (A Citizens’ Assembly), anti-racism (How Can We Be More Antiracist?), and activism (The Actions).
What sets this event apart is its open-access ethos. Attendees – including teachers, youth workers, artists, and community leaders – will receive free performance rights, along with digital and printed copies of the scripts, plus training and resources on how to stage the plays within their own communities.
Smith and O’Sullivan’s mission is clear: to democratise theatre, encourage collective discussion, and give participants the tools to drive conversation and action around pressing societal issues. The Plays for the People project, first developed in 2017, has already toured the UK and is now preparing to reach international stages in summer 2025.
Andy Smith explains: “It feels like we are living in complex, hard times. We believe that an act of theatre like this can bring perspective, allow space for different views, and act as a powerful catalyst for important conversations.”
Lynsey O’Sullivan adds: “Topics like climate change or racism can feel paralysing. These plays offer anyone, anywhere, a structured, supportive way to bring people together and explore them.”
This pioneering event marks a fresh approach to theatre as a tool for community dialogue, education, and activism — all without cost barriers.
Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot
Tuesday 17 June 2025
10am – 5.30pm
Register at: shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk
