JST Pre Show Debate

Every great play sparks a conversation - and our Pre Show Debates take that conversation beyond the stage.

Join us for a bold, free series of live interviews, panel discussions and talkbacks, digging into the big ideas behind our productions - from politics and philosophy to art, activism and everything in between.

Past speakers include Jan Ravens, Roy Williams, MP Zack Polanski, Simon Stephens, Beth Steel, comedian Jack Barry, Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Professor Michael Silk (FBA), and the legendary Annette Badland to name just a few.

Insightful, surprising, and always engaging - these events are your chance to hear fresh perspectives, ask bold questions, and be part of the conversation.

The discussion will last for approximately one hour, starting with a conversation with our panel, followed by audience questions and plenty of food for thought.

Next Pre Show Debate

Wednesday 3 December-  5.45pm – 6.45pm
Free entry – reserve your seat at boxoffice@jermynstreettheatre.co.uk

Why do writers write? A pre-show discussion with some of the most talented and exciting writers working today.

Inspired by the fact that the longing to become a writer is at the heart of the iconic David Copperfield, this discussion will explore what the craft of writing gives writers, their relationship to writing, and their journey to becoming a writer.

Join our expert panel as they explore all things writing. The debate will last around an hour, including audience questions and plenty of food for thought.

Winsome Pinnock
Winsome Pinnock is an award-winning playwright and dramaturg. Her work has been produced on the British stage and internationally since 1985. She was the first black British female writer to have a play produced by the Royal National Theatre.
Phoebe Eclair-Powell
Phoebe Eclair-Powell is a writer from South East London. She was the overall winner of the 2019 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, for her play Shed: Exploded View. Her play Fury was a finalist for the 2015 Verity Bargate Award, and the winner of the Soho Theatre Young Writers' Award.
Alan Hollinghurst
Sir Alan James Hollinghurst is an English novelist, poet, short story writer and translator. He won the 1989 Somerset Maugham Award and the 1994 James Tait Black Memorial Prize. In 2004, he won the Booker Prize for his novel The Line of Beauty.