The
Dramaturg's 
Workshop

The Dramaturg's Workshop was founded by David Shrubsole as a space to share ideas that support and nurture the journey of writers, composers and lyricists from their earliest idea through to production.

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David's research began with a simple observation:

most dramaturgs read a musical the way they'd read a play… and that has consequences. Notes get given on lyrics as if they were dialogue, on songs as if they were scenes, with the danger that the work gets weaker for it. His MA dissertation, Hearing Secret Harmonies, explores exactly this gap: how a dramaturg can properly support a writing team working in music theatre, without losing sight of what the music and lyrics themselves are doing.

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That research sits alongside three decades in the rehearsal room. David has worked on over 100 productions as composer, musical director and orchestrator, many at the National Theatre, many of them new plays, not just musicals. He holds two Master's degrees: Dramaturgy & Critical Theory from Goldsmiths University, and Political Communication and Conflict Resolution from King's College London.

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He reads the score. He reads the page.

Most dramaturgs only bring one.

That same discipline, knowing exactly which lens a piece of writing needs, and when, applies just as directly to a playwright with no interest in music at all.