Program Overview

Overview of the Playwriting (M.F.A.) Program

The Master of Fine Art degree in Playwriting at The Lir Academy offers students the opportunity to develop and hone their unique writing skills. Through a series of skills-based writing workshops and tutorials with professional playwrights, directors, and a dramaturge, the individual voice of the student writer will be nurtured and developed.

Course Structure

• The course is designed to be completed in either 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time.
• Full-time students take modules in Theatre in Context, Contemporary Theatre Practice, Dramaturgy, and Writing Workshop in the first two terms, and the Full-Length Play module in the third term and subsequent summer months.
• Part-time students ordinarily complete:
  • Year 1: Dramaturgy and Writing Workshop
  • Year 2: Theatre in Context, Contemporary Theatre Practice, and Full-Length Play

Course Content

• Contemporary Theatre Practice: Enables students to become conversant in the styles, forms, theories, and practices that constitute contemporary theatre making in Ireland.
• Dramaturgy: Introduces students to a range of dramatic texts for the theatre or related media with an emphasis on the dramaturgical composition of those texts.
• Writing Workshop: Students share their creative writing in a workshop format and receive both group feedback and individual tuition in the development of their craft.
• Play: Individual supervision and showcase staged reading of a student’s full-length play.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants must fill out all the information required on the online form, which includes the submission of two references, one academic and a professional reference, copies of the transcripts of previously completed education levels, and a CV.
• In addition, applicants are also required to upload a copy of the following documents separately:
  • Letter of Application: A letter that outlines the applicant’s theatre education and creative writing experience to date.
  • Statement of Purpose: A statement outlining ambitions in terms of theatre writing.
  • A sample of writing in the form of a play (minimum 45 minutes reading time)
• English Language Requirements: All applicants to Trinity are required to provide official evidence of proficiency in the English language. Applicants to this course are required to meet Band B (Standard Entry) English language requirements.

Career Opportunities

This course is designed to equip students of exceptional talent with the skills necessary to pursue a career in theatre and related industries through the development of skills, professional practices, and creative approaches to writing for performance.

Course Fees

For a full list of postgraduate fees, please refer to the relevant section of the university's website.

Awards

• NFQ Level 9
• Number of Places: 5-7 Places
• Next Intake: September 2025
• Course Director: Gavin O'Donoghue, Director of Actor Training and Postgraduate Programmes
• Closing Date: 31st May 2025

Introduction to The Lir Academy

The Lir Academy's Director & CEO introduces you to the Academy, highlighting its commitment to providing a comprehensive education in the arts, with a focus on playwriting, theatre directing, theatre producing, and stage design. The Academy's mission is to foster a community of artists who are dedicated to the development of innovative and engaging performances.

Related Courses

• Digital Arts and Intermedia Practices (M.Phil.)
• Screen Studies (M.Phil.)
• Stage Design (M.F.A.)
• Theatre Directing (M.F.A.)
• Theatre Producing (M.F.A.)
• Theatre and Performance (M.Phil)