Slime and Pies and Pleasance Theatre present

SAPLINGS

A new writing programme.

What is saplings?

Slime and Pies has developed a six-month writing programme that platforms work-in-development and emerging creatives. Saplings combines our two passions; new writing and creative captioning, delivered within an accessible model. 

The programme is divided into four phases: 

Phase 1: The Seed

Phase 2: Development

Phase 3: Collaboration

Phase 4: The Sapling 


Phase 1 and 2 are all about the writers. Slime and Pies will dramaturgically support the development of the plays of three playwrights. The development phase includes sessions with some of the most exciting playwrights working in the UK. 

Phase 3 is for collaboration. We will team writers up with a cast and director to bring these plays to life. In this phase, artists will work closely with a caption designer, and trained on how to adopt the practice into future work. 

Saplings ends with Phase 4, a creatively captioned showcase at Pleasance Theatre. As Pleasance Associate Artists, we are very excited to be debuting a new generation of talent on the Main House stage. 

All opportunities will be accessible to deaf and hard of hearing communities who are frequently excluded from early-work processes and small-scale work, due to lack of support available. This is an opportunity to engage disabled artists and audiences at this crucial early stage of development.


Find out more about each phase below:

  • Phase 1 of Saplings is now closed.

    The Slime and Pies team are in the process of reading all submissions, and will shortlist ten writers to meet with our co-Artistic Directors in late Feb / early Mar 2026. 

    Following the shortlist meetings, Slime and Pies will select three writers to take part in Saplings, and receive a £200 seed commission. 

    Writers do not need to be based in London to apply, however we cannot cover travel or accommodation expenses to attend the dramaturgy sessions, expert writer sessions, rehearsals or showcase. 

    This opportunity is open all. BSL interpreters can be provided throughout the process. We will ask each writer to submit an access rider to ensure we can accommodate your needs. 

  • Dates: 15 Mar - 29 May 2026

    Who’s involved: Playwrights 

    Overview: March to May will be spent developing your idea and writing the play. Each writer will have a monthly dramaturgy session with Slime and Pies.  

    Throughout this period, you will attend four sessions with visiting playwrights, who will offer insight into working in the industry, advice on how they create plays, and get the chance to speak with them about your practice. 

    By the end of the development phase, we will select 30-minute excerpts from each script that will be rehearsed with a professional cast and director. 

  • Dates: 19 Jun - 12 Jul 2026

    Overview: Over the course of a month, a professional team will have six rehearsals to develop the 30-minute extract of each play, for the showcase at Pleasance Theatre. 

    Artists will collaborate with a caption designer, who will creatively caption the entire showcase. Each play will develop a unique captioning language and all artists will be trained in how to implement creative captioning into their work. 

    We will be recruiting actors and directors from May. If you are interested in being involved in the Saplings showcase, please follow us on instagram @slimeandpies_ for updates. 

  • Date: Wed 15 July 2025

    Overview: The Saplings programme will end with a creatively captioned showcase at Pleasance Theatre. This will be a celebration of the work from the Saplings writers and the start of each play's life as a creatively captioned piece of theatre.

    Who can attend: Everyone! Come and watch the work of our fantastic Saplings artists. Tickets will be released closer to the date.

Ariana Xeno

Ariana Xeno is a Writer/Director from East London. After her debut play Stomach she was described as 'a playwright and director to keep an eye on'. She trained at The BRIT School, and was a part of the Old Vic Theatre Makers and Royal Court Writers' group. She is currently on the JMK Shortlist for 2026.

Louis Catliff

Louis is a writer-director based in North London. His work explores the extremes of human behaviour with a light touch. He is a graduate of the Menagerie Young Writers' Workshop and HighTide Writers Group. His work has been staged at the Soho theatre, Pleasance Islington and the New Wolsey.

Harjan

Singh Boparai

Harjan Singh Boparai is a storyteller interested in unravelling the wounds of community through deeply complex Global Majority characters. His work centres South Asian narratives in the diasporic lens through political resistance and migration. His work has been showcased with the National Theatre School of Canada and The Gate, and he continues to challenge what form, structure, and narrative can mean.