Paines Plough 2025 Season Announced

Paines Plough has unveiled its 2025 season, featuring two exciting new plays that will tour the UK, alongside a continued commitment to writer development and fundraising initiatives.

This season announcement follows the company’s 50th anniversary fundraising gala at the Criterion Theatre, reinforcing Paines Plough’s dedication to supporting new writing and emerging voices in theatre.

New Plays Touring the UK in 2025

Consumed

• Playwright: Karis Kelly

• Director: Katie Posner (Paines Plough Joint Artistic Director)

• Co-production: Belgrade Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, and the Women’s Prize for Playwriting

• Synopsis:
  Consumed follows four generations of Northern Irish women reuniting at a 90th birthday party, where long-buried family secrets and unresolved traumas rise to the surface. Exploring national identity, generational trauma, and the bonds that hold families together, the play is a deeply personal yet politically resonant drama.

• Tour Dates:

  • Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (as part of their new season)

  • Sheffield Theatres (as announced in their 2025 programme)

  • *Further tour dates to be announced

Artwork supplied by Paines Plough

Ordinary Decent Criminal

• Playwright: Ed Edwards

• Starring: Mark Thomas

• Synopsis:
  A follow-up to his acclaimed The Political History of Smack and Crack and England and Son, Ed Edwards' new play tells the story of Frankie, a recovering addict placed in a controversial liberal prison experiment. Starring political comedian Mark Thomas, the play explores crime, rehabilitation, and the broken justice system.

• Tour Dates:

  • Previews at Live Theatre, Newcastle

  • Further venues and tour details to be announced

Continued Commitment to Writer Development

Paines Plough’s Tour the Writer programme, now in its third year, will continue supporting emerging playwrights through mentorship, workshops, and national touring opportunities. This initiative has already played a crucial role in shaping the next generation of UK theatre talent.

Fundraising & The One Page Play Auction

As part of its 2025 fundraising campaign, Paines Plough has launched an exclusive auction featuring personalised One Page Plays from some of the UK’s most celebrated playwrights, including:

• Mike Bartlett (King Charles III, Doctor Foster)

• Dennis Kelly (Matilda the Musical, DNA)

• Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time)

These unique pieces will be auctioned to raise vital funds for Paines Plough’s work in new writing and talent development.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Paines Plough’s new season cements its reputation as the UK’s leading touring new writing company, bringing compelling, socially relevant theatre to audiences nationwide.

With Consumed and Ordinary Decent Criminal leading the charge, alongside a dedication to writer development and fundraising, 2025 promises to be a landmark year for the company.