What is it like to live another life? To step into someone else’s shoes and experience the world as they do? In this smart and exhilarating new show, anthropologists and theatre artists work together to answer just this question. Drawing on long-term field research, teams have just 24-hours to create a play from scratch. In these three short plays, discover with us what it is to be human, in all its incredible diversity.

'We would lie like that for hours, side by side. Not talking.'G-Hole is a raw, fragmented portrait of a night out that begins to unravel, following two working-class young men drifting between memory and the present. At its centre is a relationship that resists easy definition, shifting between friendship, desire and love, shaped by the pressures of class, expectation and escape, and haunted by the ghost of more innocent, careless days.The night is thick with smell and sensation - alcopops, sweat, poppers, something sweet turning sour. As it slips out of control, past and present bleed into one another, where flashes of youth and tenderness sit uneasily against fear, shame and dependency. They circle each other through it all, reaching, missing, holding on, letting go.Scenes collide, repeat and distort, mirroring the disorientation of the night and the fragile terrain of the relationship at its core.Written by NGY Productions’ Artistic Director, Nathan Gaël York, G-Hole reflects the company’s commitment to diverse voices, queer narratives and bold, actor-led storytelling.G-Hole is an urgent and intimate work about love, survival and the fleeting connections that sustain us as everything else starts to give way.Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Untitled Robot Story is a show about robotic military machinery, memory and love. A combat robot in a near future conflict wakes up with more memories than it's supposed to have. A reconnaissance drone keeps looking slightly too long at kitchens, showers, hilltops. A couple tries to figure out love in times of war. But none of that is real, really. What is there left to say in times like these? Is there any point in telling more made up stories about real things? Haven’t we had enough of keeping the world at arm’s length?This bold new show, a messy blending of reality and fiction, unfolds through the onstage setup and operation of creative technology, experimental audio and video composition, 3D animation, poetic text, dance, and (some) acting. It is the latest show from Conscript Theatre, a hyper-material performance company bringing technological arts onstage alongside physical theatre, new writing, and alternative dramaturgy. Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, the moon is often chastised for being ‘inconstant,’ ‘envious,’ and ‘making men mad.’ What would her story be if she could be the one to tell it?Blending verse, myth, and contemporary text, ‘revolution’ reimagines Romeo & Juliet from the eyes of the moon. It places Selene center stage and celebrates the trials and tribulations of the young lunar goddess who is learning how to live (and love) in a universe that has already decided her destiny.Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 60 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

Young and in love, Amma and Emil find themselves sequestered at a hotel the night before their wedding. But it is years in the future and Britain’s political landscape is altered; a looming military conscription haunts the lovers’ conversations, not to mention unplanned food poisoning and a rabbit obsession. As each new pain threatens to fracture the life they have imagined together, Amma is holding on to one piece of information that could alter everything.Written and directed by Madeleine Whitmore, Velveteen is a dystopian marriage story that questions how we might weave relationships with each other in the face of unprecedented change.Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 75 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

“We are everything this city is. We are what’s left.”Athens is crumbling. After a decade of war and a further decade of brutal austerity the ancient city is falling to pieces.The courts are corrupt, the people are dying, the landscape is ravaged, and the watchmen at the gates turn away anyone who approaches. Until Orestes, prince of a nearby province, arrives, with blood on each hand and begging for forgiveness for the crime he has committed. With a chorus of amateur and professional actors, Orestes is a modern retelling of The Eumenedies, one of the oldest surviving greek plays. Using the ancient text as a starting point Orestes is a poetic and frank reinterpretation, using the techniques of ancient Greek theatre to question what we owe each when justice seems impossible. Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 60 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

 ‘Ironic. Immortality within my grasp and yet, I just wanted time to stop'A solo show about a man who gains immortality, but at a price: A snail gains super intellinged and begins following him directly wherever he goes. If they touch, the universe ends. Around the World in 80 Days meet Faust meets Catch me if you Can. The slowest game of cat and mouse the universe has ever seen. Based on a popular meme thread, be thrilled by daring escapes, mad science experiments gone wrong and meditations on what a thousand lifetimes amount to. What is life when you have all the time in the world, but never a chance to rest?An adult fairytale about finding the moments of calm, slowing down and the self induced panic that self preservation causes us all.Presented by Wandering Artist Collective. Hot off the heels of a Five Star Edinburgh run of ‘End of the World FM’, Kevin Martin Murphy stars as yet another wildly absurd adventurer trying their best to rebel against the void and laugh at the abyss.Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 60 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

In a near-future world shaped by advanced AI, Echo Corporation allows people to reconnect with loved ones after they’ve passed through conversation and memory recall.A year has passed since Andi’s death, and her sister Elaina visits her at Echo. As the past resurfaces, their conversations shift from warm reminiscence to rising tension. The session is on the clock, and this is Elaina’s chance to uncover hidden truths. But who is really in control—humans or the system?'sister lines' explores sisterhood, grief, and how far technology can be tested in our pursuit of truth.“Incredibly moving and beautiful. A garden full of flowers a flower for every memory.”“Deep, touching, captivating.”(from sister lines rehearsed reading, Dec 2025)We are SoulSpire Arts, an artist-led collective of creatives passionate about human-focused work. We explore the raw experiences of the human soul and embrace vulnerability through our characters and stories. We love abstract narratives and take audiences on journeys uncovering layers. Alongside producing original work, we host annual scratch nights for emerging writers and, this year, our first workshop!Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 60 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

"So, if having intercourse but not having babies is on trend, why are you not the cover of Woman's Own magazine?"The Barclay's have a love like no other but a void they face every day, and no matter what decade it’s not getting any easier to fill.In the dawn of the post-war nuclear family and the 1960s sexual revolution, Anne’s infertility means she is suffocated by a society where she no longer fits. In the 1970s Annabelle’s friends force her to choose between motherhood and the fight for women’s rights. By the 1990s Annie’s plight is a gimmick to promote soap operas and magazines. Even today Anna’s desire for a baby is no easier to fulfil, and seemingly no easier to understand.This won’t stop the Barclay’s in their pursuit of happiness and defining what a family means on their own terms.Set across four time periods, Vacuum is a tender two-hander that explores the resilience of real love against joy and heartbreak. Questioning how much a couple can ever be expected to take, the Barclay’s are a testament to the old adage that if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.Adapted from the playwright’s award-winning research ‘Reproduction, Medicine and the Media’ and inspired by true events, this play uses dialogue from the real couples who inspired these stories.Part of The Hope Theatre WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 60 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

'such a fascinating subject … Zero ….  Nought …  Naughty     … Don’t you think?'Julie and her two mates are looking for a flat share in an upmarket part of town.  When they find the ideal four-bedroom flat, they must accept a fourth flatmate – a stranger.    When the owner persuades them to take part in a zero-sum game to win a room, it sets up a strong competitive streak between them.  As conflicts rise,  Mathematician Julie becomes obsessed with zero and its properties.  As the tension ramps up, they become concerned about the fourth flatmate, a woman, who never showed up.  She's gone missing and when they find her bag at the property, they suspect she’s in danger.  The agent has found another person for the flat share - a man who doesn't fit in, an unsavoury character, but they have no choice but to get along with him as best they can.  As things come to a head, Julie finds out the devastating truth.Part of The Hope Theatre WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 75 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

'You think if you get a taste of having something more, you would think twice about risking everything to take it?'The birth of rave culture in the 90’s comes from Coventry bringing the sweaty dance floors of Coventry into the mainstream music scene.‘Eclipse’ brings the stories of those people out from those dark rooms and into the light, showing the impact of this new and exciting scene on the people of those regional towns, for better or for worse.Eclipse takes a snapshot at one families life from Canley in the rise of dance music in Coventry through artists like Amnesia House and the opening of The Eclipse. It reflects a shift in drinking culture—from going out and getting into fights to coming together and dancing instead. We are taken on a journey of the rise and fall of the UK's first 24 hour legal dance club- and how the impact ricocheted over the youth of the 90's, with a spike of unemployment and drug culture.Once looking into the story of the Eclipse, Eleanor has gained massive support from Coventry and Midlands based artists to help tell this story.For more information about the Eclipse, the rise of rave music in Coventry and the impact it had on the city please visit Reflection Media and Art's website: https://www.reflectionmediaart.com/Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 50 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.

"But just a little bit of something you hate can be a whole lot of fun..."A tragicomic two-hander about the unexpected relationship between Ryuji, an injured yakuza on the run, and Gloria, an extravagant (yet closeted) drag queen. Despite Ryuji's initial homophobia, over the course of his recovery, the two grow closer, frittering away hours in seclusion talking about Gloria's favourite film and whether or not a single kiss could change everything. But when Gloria returns one night with news of a homophobic murder, their fragile relationship is shattered. And Gloria decides to take drastic action.In 1996, the pioneering Japanese LGBTQ+ theatre company Flying Stage premiered 'Beauty and the Beast', winning the Ikebukuro Theatre Festival Jury Special Award. Thirty years on, this play's themes of desire, identity and comedy in the shadow of violence still linger today.As LGBTQ+ rights face renewed scrutiny in the UK, this showcase presents Gareth Mattey’s bold new adaptation, bringing the Japanese queer underground to the contemporary international stage. Following acclaimed English-translated extracts at Jermyn Street Theatre and Underbelly Boulevard Soho, and a four-star review from A Young(ish) Perspective, this intimate performance invites audiences to witness the evolution of an East Asian queer work."Beauty and the Beast" is a vivid and playful celebration of queer resilience.Part of The Hope Theatre's WIP Week 2026LATECOMERS MAY NOT BE ADMITTED.UNDER 18s ARE NOT PERMITTED INTO THE THEATRE FOR THIS PERFORMANCE.The performance lasts approximately 70 minutes without an interval.Refunds and exchanges are not available.