Playwright's Professional Development Residency 2024 - 2026
The next iteration of the Playwright's Professional Development Residency (PPDR) is currently running from May 2024 to March 2026. The expanded sophormore version of the Playwright’s Professional Development Residency will support four early-career playwrights who will undergo a two-year journey together as a cohort with Programme Leaders Joel Tan and Jean Tay.
We are thrilled to announce the four residents:
About the Residency
This is a dedicated two-year residency with a structured studio programme designed and run by the residency facilitator(s), complemented by numerous public presentation opportunities in the form of reading events, artist sharings and workshops.
The underlying philosophy of this residency is to develop the writer, not just the play. We’re providing time, space, and support for writers looking to gain a greater awareness of their voice and point of view, and also to challenge and build their artistry.
The residency does this through a group format that emphasises mutual support, friendship, and respect, and through a programme that balances reading, discussion, critique and writing. This residency weaves in several opportunities to write and present over its two years. Writers will also have access to workshops with professional theatre-makers, and other industry immersion opportunities.
This residency aims to:
- Provide a space for residents to rigorously interrogate and develop their practice
- Provide numerous opportunities to write and build up a small portfolio of residency-specific work
- Provide multiple public presentation opportunities
- Directly connect the residents with theatre professionals through workshops, talks, and immersion opportunities
Residency Schedule
The 2024-2026 residency is a two-year studio programme comprising the following phases:
The end-of-chapter public sharing for Year 1, Chapter 1 was titled Playwrights Breaking Things. Click below to find out more about the sharing!
The end-of-chapter public sharing for Year 1, Chapter 2 was titled Playwrights in a Mad World. Click below to find out more about the sharing!
Between November and December 2025, the playwrights conducted table reads, where the drafts of their plays were read by selected actors. A diverse group of theatre practitioners were invited to provide feedback that helped the playwrights continue improving their plays.
Amitha's table read for her play, this body is never truly yours, was held in the Centre 42 Office on 19 November. Present were (clockwise, from left): Choy Chee Yew, Coco Wang Ling (reader), Millicent Wong (reader), Sab Dzulkifli, Jo Tan, Lucas Ho, Michelle Tan, Amitha Pagolu, Siti Khalijah (reader), Karen Tan (reader), Joel Tan, Jean Tay, and Raimi Safari.
Raimi's table read for his play, P, was held in the Centre 42 Office on 26 November. Present were (from left): Jean Tay, Sab Dzulkifli, Joel Tan, Moli Mohter (reader), Farah Ong (reader), Juliet Chia, Danial Matin, Natasha Fathin Jupri, Zulfadli Rashid, Amirah, Siti Khalijah (reader), Suhaillah Salam (reader), Dalifah Shahril (reader), Raimi Safari, and Nessa Anwar.
Chee Yew's table read for his play, Becoming, was held in the Centre 42 Office on 17 December. Present were (clockwise, from left): Selma Alkaff, Neo Swee Lin (reader), Lim Kay Siu (reader), Jean Tay, Lin Mingyu, Amitha Pagolu, Joel Tan, Lucas Ho, Isabella Chiam, Coco Wang Ling (reader), Matthias Teh (reader), Tan Shou Chen, and Choy Chee Yew.
Over the course of a few weekends in March 2026, the four playwrights will be presenting their end-of-residency showcases in the Black Box at 42 Waterloo Street. Look out for:
- Choy Chee Yew - 7 March
- Sabrina Dzulkifli - 13 & 14 March
- Amitha Pagolu - 14 & 15 March
- Raimi Safari - 27 & 28 March