Timeless

An elegant green Edwardian clock stands at the heart of Birmingham’s beloved Jewellery Quarter, towering above the bustling lives of residents, workers, shoppers and visitors. The Chamberlain Clock has been an impressive sight since it was unveiled by Joseph Chamberlain back in 1903 to commemorate his visit to South Africa after the controversial 2nd Boer

Our show needs YOU!

BOLDtext Playwrights’ latest show, GEM OF A PLACE, is welcoming a community cast to support our production with a dash of visual/physical theatre.  This is the first time we’ve worked with a community cast but we’re looking forward to co-creating some theatrical moments which will complement the micro-plays from BOLDtext writers. We’d like these fleeting

The purpose of purpose

We’ve all sat in groups or meetings, or even down the pub, with a fixed-on smile while we quietly wonder why we bothered showing up.  (Be honest, it’s not just me.) You have nothing useful to say on the subject, or no-one listens to you –  either way, it’s a waste of your precious time

Open Door at The REP

In 2013, BOLDtext Playwrights initiated discussions with Birmingham REP about presenting New Writing nights, and the OPEN DOOR initiative emerged. We pioneered it by presenting eight individual pieces of work-in-progress to a growing regional audience hungry for new work that reflected their lives. Click ‘continue reading’ or scroll down for older posts about the shows.

Power of Invention

Lockdown and the closure of Birmingham museums meant a nine month postponement for this site-specific production about Matthew Boulton’s ground-breaking Lunar Society. We reconfigured the show as an outdoor production in the gardens of Soho House in Birmingham, to make it covid secure.  Click ‘continue reading’ or scroll down for older posts about the show.

This doesn’t happen every day…

Liz John and Tim Stimpson don’t just write for BOLDtext. They also pen the ‘everyday story of country folk’ that is The Archers. Liz and Tim joined the rest of the cast and crew at Clarence House to celebrate the show’s 70th anniversary with the Duchess of Cornwall. Below Tim reflects on an unusual day.

Bolder, Better, Brilliant

We’ve come a long way since we started in 2014. Beginning in The DOOR at the Birmingham Rep, we’ve burst out onto the streets of Digbeth, into the garden of a mansion, and even taken over a jail. We figured it’s about time we wrote down what it is we do. Read our manifesto below.

Follow Me

In summer 2019 it was anounced that the Birmingham Weekender would be going ahead. Planned for the beginning of October, it left us with less than three months to devise, pitch, and produce a show for the festival. To find out what we came up with click ‘continue reading’ or scroll down for older posts.

Behind Bars: Ghosts of the Lock-Up

Our first site-specific production, Behind Bars took place within the walls of a 130 year-old Victorian prison. Kicking off with nine performances in October 2018, the show’s notoriety got it sent back to the clink for a further twelve performances the following year. Click ‘continue reading’ or scroll down for older posts about the show.

Power

MATTHEW BOULTON (1718-1809) was Birmingham’s foremost entrepreneur and industrialist, best known for his partnership with James Watt in developing steam engine technology, heralding a technological revolution in 18th century England.  In fact, Boulton was far more than this. His combination of engineering know-how, entrepreneurial ambition and an ability to inspire the brightest minds to collaborate,