Forest Forge's First Theatre Lab

Forest Forge Theatre Company has launched its inaugural Theatre Lab, a bold new initiative designed to nurture early-stage ideas from theatre-makers across Hampshire.

Developed in partnership with Forest Arts Centre , the Lab responded to a clear need: a space for creatives to explore concepts before they reach the scratch-night stage.

Why Theatre Lab?

Through Forest Forge’s Furnace network — a termly meet-up for theatre creatives —artists voiced a need for a collaborative environment where ideas could be tested, played with, and refined. Theatre Lab was born as an informal, supportive space for experimentation, offering participants the chance to pitch concepts and workshop them with peers.

The Day in Action

Hosted at Forest Arts Centre, the Lab welcomed eight attendees and featured four selected submissions. Each artist had an hour to present their idea, run activities, and gather feedback. Sessions ranged from script read-throughs and improvised extracts to theatre games for verbatim content. The atmosphere was dynamic, with participants switching roles—actor, writer, facilitator—depending on the needs of each workshop.

What Participants Said

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive:

• “It’s great to have your work aired—where else can you do that?”

• “Seeing ideas at their earliest stage was inspiring and informed my own process.”

• “I loved the collaborative energy and the respect for everyone’s input.”

  
  

Participants valued the opportunity to observe different creative approaches and engage in meaningful peer discussions. Many left feeling energized and grateful for the dedicated time spent on their ideas.

Looking Ahead

Forest Forge plans to run Theatre Lab once or twice a year, refining its format to maximize creative exchange. By offering a platform for ideas at their most vulnerable stage, Theatre Lab is helping to fuel the next wave of theatre-making in Hampshire—one spark at a time.