Writers Workshop: Adaptation: Re-Voicing Myth & Memory

Misha Duncan-Barry is leading a five-week writer development course at York Theatre Royal, running from Saturday 10 October to Saturday 7 November. It's called Adaptation: Re-Voicing Myth & Memory, and it's open to adults aged 18 and over of all writing abilities, so you don't need any previous playwriting experience to join in.

The course is inspired by the theatre's production of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad, and it focuses on the art of adaptation. The specific angle here is reclaiming, reshaping, and re-centring stories through Black mythological, folkloric, and legendary figures from African and diasporic traditions. You're asked to bring a figure to explore — the course suggests Anansi, the Akan trickster; Oshun, the Yoruba orisha; Memnon, the Ethiopian king from Greek mythology; or Moremi Ajasoro, the Yoruba heroine — and from there, the work looks at whose voices get heard and how storytelling can challenge established narratives.

It's led by Misha Duncan-Barry, an award-winning actor, playwright, and director who's also a Resident Artist at York Theatre Royal. The five weeks build towards an informal studio sharing, where you'll have the chance to hear extracts of your work read by actors.

The first session is on Saturday 10 October from 14:00 to 17:00, and the following four run on Saturdays from 17 October to 7 November, 13:00 to 16:00, all in the Keregan Room at York Theatre Royal. The cost is £75, which includes a ticket to The Penelopiad.