What's on
Performances, workshops, events and seminars are shown on this page, where they're of interest to Communications, Drama and Film students.
Please remember that coursework-related events may not appear until a week before the event, so please check back regularly.
Tue 06 May
Start time: 10:00Making A Short Film - Don Boyd 3 Day Masterclass
Presented by: Don BoydIn this masterclass, students will be given the structured opportunity to make a short film from a theme, set of dramatic circumstances or preconceived script. Director and producer Don Boyd and Acting for Screen convenor Bryan Brown will work with a handful of actors, directors, writers and camera operators to explore the ways in which a short film comes alive on screen from an improvisational theme or scripted work.
This is a great opportunity to meet new students across CDF and English, to develop new skills, and to hone your creative vision. You will work fast and intensely, collaborating in small groups to create a short film in less than 72 hours.
The workshop will be structured as follows: Groups will be assigned beforehand so that you can begin to develop a theme, set of dramatic circumstances or written script. The first day of the masterclass will be a talk by Don Boyd about improvisation for screen and ways to approach your work. Each group will then present their theme and ideas for how to concretise their scene and Don and Bryan will offer guidance about how to go about filming the scene. That afternoon, and the following day, each group will film on their own, with assistance from appropriate staff when needed.
All students, but particularly camera operators, will be offered training by the CDF tech team and each group will edit their own scene (with appropriate guidance) for a final showing on the last day of the workshop. There will be a guided feedback session and discussion of the work during this screening as well as a final Q&A with Don Boyd.
The workshop has limited places. To register as an actor, director, writer or camera operator, please send a 250-word maximum personal statement to Bryan Brown B.Brown@exeter.ac.uk explaining why participating in the workshop is important for you at this time. Please include which degree and year you are in your email, and if you have a particular theme or type of scene you want to improvise or write (you don’t need to, but it will help us group you if you do). Our intention is to choose a range of experience and needs for this workshop. Previous experience is not required; passion and commitment are.
Applications due by 28 March.
Wed 07 May
Start time: 14:00T3 Festival
Employability Salon #1
2-3pm Phil Smith & Helen Billinghurst - Crab & Bee’s ‘Matter of Britain’: making performance from folklore.’
In this hour-long session, Crab & Bee (visual artist and poet and performance-maker Phil Smith) will open up their work with an extract from their 2025 performance tour of ‘Matter of Britain’, discuss their devising of a new folklore, their methods of performance-making and discuss strategies for making a living and a career in the arts.
3.30-5pm Matthew Linley – an independent theatre producer with a wide range of experience in commissioning actors, plays and venue management.
Wed 07 May
Start time: 16:00T3 Festival
Theatre on Screen: Come from Away
Come from Away is a musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein celebrating the kindness of strangers in Gander, Newfoundland, to whose International Airport 38 planes and their passengers were diverted when Al-Qaeda-affiliated hijackers crashed Boeing 767 jets into the World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City on 11 September 2001.
Gander locals’ generosity towards the stranded passengers restores a sense of the best of humanity and offers an antidote to the adjacent grief. First directed by Christopher Ashley and workshopped in Ontario in 2012, Come from Away enjoyed long runs on Broadway and in the West End, playing concurrently with national tours and productions in major cities across the world. As the musical enters the amateur performance circuit in the UK in 2025, this screening offers an opportunity to revisit the themes of the piece in light of recent global geopolitical events.
[Selected by Dr. Evelyn O'Malley]
Thu 08 May
Start time: 18:00T3 Festival
Cabaret: The Exception and the Rule
Director: The Cast
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
In this performance, Brecht's "The Exception and the Rule" is reimagined in a cabaret style
Fri 09 May
Start times are 15:00 and 17:00T3 Festival
미친 MADNESS 疯子
'Madness, in its wild, untamable words, proclaims its own meaning; in its chimeras, it utters its secret truth; its cries speak for its conscience' - M. Foucault
Our performance reflects upon the grotesque images of French neurologist Charcot, and the societal expectations of women.
Performed By:
Dorry Dong
Lily Howe
Hyomin Jin
Wed 14 May
Start time: 09:00T3 Festival
Dance-a-thon 12 hour
Director: Niamh Yam and Amelie Hampshire
Location: TS2 Alexander Building, Thornlea, New North Road, Postcode: EX4 4LA Show on Map
Join us for our charity dance a thon to raise money for 'Elsie's Story'. Stay for as long or as little as you like and get ready to have a boogie for this fabulous cause.
Wed 14 May
Start time: 14:00T3 Festival
Employability Salon #2
An opportunity to listen to (and also bend the ears of) the new artistic director at the Northcott and Sam Parker (theatre development producer), along with hearing from recent graduate Rob Stirzaker about local radio.
2-3.30pm Martin Berry & Sam Parker - Northcott Theatre
4-5pm Rob Stirzaker – a student on the course just last year and now working as a local radio presenter
Wed 14 May
Start time: 16:00T3 Festival
Playwriting Workshop
Location: WH1Postcode: EX4 4LA Show on Map
Have you written a play, or part of a play, and would like feedback on it?
Are you interested in writing a play but are not sure how to start?
This workshop is for undergraduate and postgraduate Drama students who would like to learn more about playwriting and to develop their own creative writing. The workshop, which will limited to twelve students, will feature writing exercises and activities. Following the workshop, students will have the opportunity for follow-up mentoring online.
Dr. James MacDonald is a playwright whose work is regularly staged in the United Kingdom. He is an associate research fellow at the University of Exeter. He has worked with Exeter Drama students for over 30 years on textual interpretation and script development. His published work includes Russia, Freaks and Foreigners (2008), Carnival Texts (2011), Freaks of History (2017), Eight Performance Texts about Disability (2020), Ugly (2021), Cripplegate (2023), and Four Plays about Disability (2023). He has also published essays from his personal experiences on physical disability in Studies in Theatre and Performance: "The Virtue of Living A Lie" (Volume 30 Issue 3, 2010) and American literary journal Boulevard (2011). He has also written "Does He Write Plays?" (Boulevard, 2013).
Sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/SpAx9zAgBH
Thu 15 May
Start time: 15:30T3 Festival
Theatre on Screen: Inferno: Romeo Castellucci and Societas Raffaello Sanzio
Made for the Avignon Festival in 2008, Inferno is the first part of three pieces Romeo Castellucci 'freely adapted' from Dante's Divine Comedy. As with all of Societas Raffaello Sanzio's work it can be categorised as 'postdramatic' – working outside of secure narrative or character, it is in turn visceral and meditative, both spectacular and unsettling, and often seeming to test the limits of theatre's materials and relationships. [Selected by Dr. Wendy Hubbard]
Thu 15 May
Start time: 18:00T3 Festival
Make Some Noise!
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Inspired by the Dropout panel show of the same name, 'Make Some Noise!' is a panel show made for short form improv. Cast members, split into teams of 3, take turns doing short scenes based on the prompts given by the host. This show is perfect for those who want to try performing short form improv but don't quite know what to start!
This will be an extremely low-commitment show, since a lot of the show is (obviously) improvised on the day. For cast members, we will aim to have 2-3 rehearsals, in which we will go over the structure of the show and also practising improv skills so that you feel confident improv-ing on stage.
Fri 16 May
Start times are 16:00 and 18:15T3 Festival
The Southern Cross
Presented by: Mackenzie Gilmore
Director: Mackenzie Gilmore
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Noah and Casey meet one night under the stars, and they fall in love, until an upsetting piece of news means Noah has to leave forever. But who really was Noah? What was he like? And does it matter if your memories of a relationship are distorted if they are comforting?
Tue 20 May
Start times are 16:00 and 18:00T3 Festival
Dream Team
Director: Hannah Wycherley
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Comedic drama that follows a group of students working together to put on a performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. They struggle through the common group-work issues like: who’s in charge?, this person isn’t showing up, and oh no the show is in 1 week! Watch them attempt to work harmoniously and create the best performance of Macbeth ever seen.
Wed 21 May
Start time: 14:00T3 Festival
Employability Salon #3
2-4pm - Here’s a chance for you to have a 10-minute, 1-1 surgery with professional practitioners from the department, to discuss your future creative ideas, professional plans, or even to ask about who else you might talk to!
4-5pm - A presentation by a representative from Equity (the Actors’ Trades Union)
The session will cover an introduction to Equity, our student membership, and how students can protect and improve their working conditions. It will be open for questions throughout with time for discussion based on students’ prior experience of work and knowledge of trade unions.
There will be an opportunity to join Equity at our discounted student rate of £3.60 a month during the session and for students to choose a Student Deputy/Deputies to represent them in the union.
Wed 21 May
Start times are 16:00 and 18:00T3 Festival
Tip
Presented by: Emma Gibbon
Director: Emma Gibbon
Location: TS1 Alexander Building, Thornlea, New North Road, Postcode: EX4 4LA Show on Map
Through the exploration of movement we follow the story of a child adopted by gangsters. This piece has no dialogue but instead guided by music and soundscapes, focused on breath work. The audience follow as they get more and more involved with the family's life of crime. They meet lovers, rivals, success and death, all which is shown through the emotion in physicality.
Wed 21 May
Start times are 17:00 and 19:00T3 Festival
Mustard
Director: Gracie Purton
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
‘Mustard’ is a dark comedy, following Bennie, a man in his 40s, who is suddenly feeling unsatisfied and insecure in his relationship with his husband. As his suspicions grow, so does his desperation and he decides to take matters into his only hands, but finds he only makes things worse.
Thu 22 May
Start times are 16:00 and 18:00T3 Festival
Our Flatmate
Presented by: Isabella Davies
Director: Isabella Davies and Liv Hodgson
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Our flatmate follows four second year students learning to live together after their flatmate Charlie passes away. As they navigate old memories and new emotions they are also stuck searching for the key to escaping the impending danger looming over them and times running out.
Thu 29 May
Start time: 15:30T3 Festival
Theatre on Screen: Pierrot History : Performances in the Pandemic (Chin Up!)
My research and practice are wholly intertwined. These films trace a process that has evolved over the last 40 years, but the process of recording the work is also part of my pedagogic practice: sharing embodied knowledge of new formats and platforms alongside in-heritage transference provides a living archive of intangible cultural heritage, which raises the profile and understanding of popular forms which have acquired little cultural value and are often neglected by mainstream academia. My work and these films attempt to redress some of this imbalance! [Dr. Tony Lidington]
Fri 30 May
Start times are 14:00 and 17:00T3 Festival
Last Orders!
Presented by: Mackenzie Gilmore
Director: Mackenzie Gilmore/Harvey Temple/Sammy Till Vattier/Benjamin Davis
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
4 friends go to the pub for an evening of fun - but they’ll only be having one drink as they all have work tomorrow. Ok, maybe a few drinks. And a few shots? Ooh they have Sambuca...
A musical comedy centred around a pub crawl gone wrong, this show cannot promise it won’t give you flashbacks to your last disastrous night out.
Mon 02 Jun
Start times are 16:30 and 19:30T3 Festival
Nesting Dolls
Presented by: Finn Ellison
Director: Finn Ellison
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
After the recent death of their mother, three siblings agree to meet at the home where they grew up to scatter her ashes.
Tue 03 Jun
Start times are 14:00 and 17:00T3 Festival
Aliens?
Director: Laura Brian
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Trump called immigrants "Criminal Aliens" but with the future of our planet in jeopardy, what if the human race become the aliens, immigrants on another planet...
Tue 03 Jun
Start times are 15:00 and 18:00T3 Festival
Jane Doe
Presented by: Rebecca Edmunds
Co-Directors: Rebecca Edmunds , Ophelia Mills
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Jane Doe, 24 years old, is faced with a life altering "choice". Having to face multiple opinions: friendship, politics and love.
What happens if the choice is no longer hers?
And what is she willing to loose?
Wed 04 Jun
Start times are 15:00 and 17:30T3 Festival
Murder! On the Dancefloor?
Presented by: Brooke Miller
Director: Brooke Miller
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Murder! On the Dancfloor? A comedy murder mystery exploring motives and reasoning, is there any justification for murder? You decide! After seeing and understanding the events that led to the murderous party. should the killer face justice, or can this case go unanswered.
Thu 05 Jun
Start times are 15:00 and 17:00T3 Festival
Ancient Meltdown
Presented by: Gustavo Chaidez Herrera
Director: Gustavo Chaidez Herrera
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
A conference on ancient cultures is interrupted when a lecturer becomes possessed by an old curse. Chaos, disorientation, and misinformation turn an ordinary lecture into physical theatre, noise music, and absurd humour.
Thu 05 Jun
Start time: 15:30T3 Festival
Theatre on Screen: Kazuo Ohno: Beauty and Strength
A documentary on the life and work of one of butoh’s originators Kazuo Ohno. Compiled from a range of films, performances and interviews, as well as examples of Ohno's drawings and writings, this film was created by the Kazuo Ohno Dance Studio in 2000. It presents a comprehensive view into the world of Kazuo Ohno's dance and understanding of butoh, including original footage of old performances and behind-the-scene looks into Ohno's workshops and rehearsals. In the words of the Studio: 'Beauty and Strength is more than just entertainment. It is the means to preserve these precious materials and to make them available to the next generation.' [Selected by Dr. Bryan Brown]
Thu 05 Jun
Start times are 16:00 and 18:00T3 Festival
Unsilent Mode Vol. I Redux
Director: Kelvin Wong
Location: RS2 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Sun 08 Jun
Start times are 13:00 and 15:30T3 Festival
We're not allowed to talk about it...
Location: RS3 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Three strangers compete to be the most unhinged person in the room on this brain-rotting experience that combines absurdity, Gen Z dark humour, and randomness.
Sun 08 Jun
Start times are 14:00 and 16:30T3 Festival
Magpie
Presented by: Rudi Gibbs
Director: Rudi S. Carson
Location: RS1 Roborough Studios, Prince of Wales Road, Postcode: EX4 4SB Show on Map
Magpie follows Margot Winters, an actress in the midst of transitioning from stage to screen. As Margot continues to work on the movie, she begins to lose track of herself in the mass of all of her previous roles. Now unable to tell herself apart from iconic characters such as Blanche or Lady Macbeth, Margot descends into madness.
Mon 09 Jun
Start times are 15:00 and 15:30 and 16:00 and 16:30 and 17:00 and 17:30T3 Festival
My Toothpaste Prayers
Presented by: Dexter Meleisea
Director: Dexter Meleisea (Ew.)
Location: TS5 Alexander Building, Thornlea, New North Road, Postcode: EX4 4LA Show on Map
15-minute auditory play about living with ADHD.
Also, there's a projection involved.
Mon 09 Jun
Start times are 15:00 and 17:00T3 Festival
The Alphabet Wives
Presented by: Lucy Ma
Director: Holly Smith and Lucy Ma
Location: TS1 Alexander Building, Thornlea, New North Road, Postcode: EX4 4LA Show on Map
What is unconditional love? Is it enough to keep you safe? Menah is new to love, blind to realities. She sees life as a fairytale, a life far from the society she is entrapped in. Carwyn is looking for a new wife, another wife. The thirteenth.
Thu 12 Jun
Start time: 16:30T3 Festival
Theatre on Screen: Houses Slide
Houses Slide is a piece of music theatre for soprano and orchestra composed by Laura Bowler with a libretto by Cordelia Lynn, first performed by London Sinfonietta in 2021 in a production directed by Katie Mitchell. This piece musicalizes eco-anxiety, climate grief, and climate depression by presenting the emotional journey of an Everywoman character, performed by soprano Jessica Aszodi. A team of volunteer cyclists is present and visible onstage throughout and powers this off-grid performance; additionally, Aszodi sings while cycling in place. This performance provides insight into the ways in which contemporary classical musicians and theatre-makers are responding to the climate crisis and modelling environmentally sustainable practice. [Selected by Prof. Adrian Curtin]
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