What Happens Next? returns to Hope Street for 2025

Liverpool's Tip Tray Theatre presents its annual playwriting competition What Happens Next? in the city this month.

Eight new plays from emerging voices are in contention for the prize, with the judges for the 2025 competition including actor Joe McGann and playwright Ian Salmon.

The contest takes place at the Hope Street Theatre from January 16-18, with a live audience seeing the first 20 minutes of four contenders each evening and the finalists battling it out for the top prize on the final night.

Audience members also get to cast their votes alongside the judging panel which in addition to McGann and Salmon features playwright Karen Brown and The Reviews Hub editor John McRoberts.

The victor will receive a professional contract for Tip Tray to present their play along with five days’ complementary theatre hire at Hope Street to develop and rehearse it, dramaturgy support from Papatango Theatre Company, and £1,000 of Kickstarter budget to help bring their story to life.

Previous winners include Sean McLoughlin with I am Steven Gerrard, which was staged at the Hope Street Theatre and the Royal Court Studio last year, and Elspeth Todd’s FOUR which won the 2024 contest and will be premiered at Hope Street during this year.

The new shortlisted plays being previewed on January 16 are Lucy and The Bird by Lara Field, With You by Yuvraj Bhatia and Irina Ivanova, Rain on Svalbard by Anita Bowman and Diva by Joanne Collins.

And on January 17, there’s a chance to catch Bare Bones by Nadine Jump, Unsinkable by Matthew Reynolds, Exit Music (For Our World) by Anna Ní Dhúill and How to Commit a Mattress Heist by Jessica Brigham.

Above: I Am Steven Gerrard which won the 2023 What Happens Next? competition. Photo by Andrew AB Photography.

Judge Joe McGann says: “I think the format of What Happens Next? is brilliant and has already uncovered and realised truly exceptional pieces of theatre. I can’t wait for this next one and I'm proud to be judging the competition for the third year running.”

Tip Tray Theatre, founded and run by executive producer Maisy Gordon and artistic director Evan Byrne, is a disability-led arts organisation whose mission is to support early-career artists and remove the barriers that hinder access to the arts.

Gordon says: "We believe that all artists, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to create and showcase their work.

“Through What Happens Next? we’re proud to offer a platform for emerging voices and ensure that financial and logistical barriers are removed for artists to thrive."

And Byrne adds: “It’s about giving artists the tools they need to move forward in their careers, while also strengthening the creative community here in Liverpool.”

What Happens Next? is at the Hope Street Theatre from January 16-18. Tickets are £10.75 available HERE