Supporting primary schools to produce their own show
Primary Play Your Part is a project providing newly commissioned playscripts to primary schools. The brand-new playscripts are written specifically for primary-aged students to perform. Along with a range of supporting online resources and CPD sessions, the project aims to guide primary schools through the process of creating their own in-school productions.
The playscripts are free for all UK state primary schools. If you are a private school or a school outside the UK, please contact primary@oldvictheatre.com for more details.
As part of the project, schools will receive:
- A playscript: a digital copy of their chosen playscript
- A character list: including the number of lines for each role within the playscript
- A licence agreement: granting access to perform the production
- Online resources: including guides, videos, teacher packs and more
- In-person CPDs: invitations to CPD opportunities held at The Old Vic
- Online drop-in sessions: invitations to online sessions providing support for schools.
The project runs from Jan–Jul 2026.
We will be holding in-person CPD workshops at The Old Vic and online drop-in sessions to support teachers with their productions. A link to sign up to these will be shared once applications are complete.
In-person CPD workshops
Mon 23 Mar, 4.30–6.30pm: how to direct large casts of young actors
Wed 22 Apr, 4.30–6.30pm: how to sustainably design your show
These two-hour workshops will be led by industry professionals and will support schools and teachers to put on a successful show in their school.
Online drop-in sessions
Wed 25 Mar, 4.30–5.30pm: session one
Thu 23 Apr, 4.30–5.30pm: session two
These one-hour drop-in sessions will be led by The Old Vic’s Education Manager, offering help and support to schools and teachers on the programme.
We have a collection of three plays for primary schools to choose from, all aimed at different Key Stage levels. Each playscript has 60 speaking parts and a running time of approximately 20–30 minutes.
See samples of each playscript below, as well as character lists including line allocation for each role.
Zoom In and Zoom Out by Simon Marshall (KS1: ages 5–7)
Download a sample of Zoom In and Zoom Out playscript
Download the character list for Zoom In and Zoom Out
The Sweet Life by Sabrina Mahfouz (Lower KS2: ages 7–9)
Download a sample of The Sweet Life playscript
Download the character list for The Sweet Life
The Present by Laura Dockrill (Lower KS2: ages 9–11)
Download a sample of The Present playscript
Download the character list for The Present
Simon Marshall
Simon Marshall is an award-winning playwright, poet and writing facilitator from Derbyshire, living in Sheffield. His writing explores sense of place, belonging and identity.
He is a former Associate Artist of Derby Theatre and Associate Poet for Derby Poetry Festival 2024.
His queer coming-of-age audio play kilburn (not london) was released on podcast networks everywhere in 2021 and has been heard worldwide. His play BONFIRE had a regional tour in winter 2023. The play was called ‘honest, brave and sharply funny’ by critic Lyn Gardner, and ‘an important piece of queer theatre’ by reviewers. Odyssey a VR audio play, written with care-experienced group Plus One, went on to win The Stage Award for Digital Project of the Year 2023.
Other work includes: The Fossil Kids for Sheffield Theatres’ Playhouse June 2023, audio short Saving Mel Spencer for Podium.Me April 2025 and Below Decadence at Camden People’s Theatre, April 2025.
His play in defence of adventurous mothers is the inaugural winner of the Vault Creative Arts Playwriting Award 2025, playing at The Glitch in Summer 2025 and published with Methuen Drama/Bloomsbury.
Sabrina Mahfouz
Sabrina grew up in London and Cairo and is a writer of books, plays, television programmes and poems.
For television, she has recently worked on HBO’s Full Circle, A24’s BEEF and #1 Happy Family USA.
In theatre, she recently wrote for Danny Boyle and Boy Blue’s dance adaptation of The Matrix, Free Your Mind. She was an inaugural Writer in Residence at Shakespeare’s Globe, where she cowrote an adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. She wrote and performed her cross-genre show A History of Water in the Middle East at the Royal Court.
Her numerous other plays have garnered a Fringe First Award, Herald Angel Award, Old Vic New Voices Award, BBC Best Drama Award, Radio Academy Award, UK Theatre Award and an Offie Award.
Sabrina is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Literature and has written, edited and been anthologised in a number of books for adults and children.
Laura Dockrill
Laura Dockrill is an award-winning writer, speaker and illustrator from Brixton, South London.
Her first book for children, Darcy Burdock, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year Prize and Carnegie Medal. Her critically acclaimed memoir What Have I Done? is being adapted for television.
Laura’s first film, Goldfish, received a BAFTA nomination for Best Short. She has been commissioned by the National Theatre, Young Vic, Bush and Donmar. Laura has written unique work including immersive tours of archives celebrating the work of both Roald Dahl and Tove Jansson for the Southbank Centre. She adapted Robin Hood for the Watermill Theatre and her show for children, Dust, won an OnComm Award at the 2022 Off West End Awards.
Her first novel for adults, I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, was published in June 2024.
- The Primary Play Your Part playscripts are available to all UK state primary schools for free. If you are a private school or a school outside the UK, please contact primary@oldvictheatre.com for more details
- This programme aims to work with young people who have limited access to the arts. We are particularly interested in working with young people who are from backgrounds unrepresented in theatre, including those from global majority backgrounds, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and disabled young people.
Applications for Primary Play Your Part are currently open. To take part, please complete an application form
To learn more, please email primary@oldvictheatre.com
- Primary Play Your Part project aims to be open and accessible to all
- We welcome applications from SEND schools
- You can adapt the playscript content to suit your students and school
If you would like to discuss your school’s access requirements or have any questions before applying, please contact primary@oldvictheatre.com
If you have any questions, please contact primary@oldvictheatre.com
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