01 / ROOTED HERE
Local stories. Local voices. Live on stage.
Homegrown: The Mountmellick Playwrights Festival celebrates original writing, local voices and community theatre in Laois.
Bringing together playwrights, actors, directors and creatives, the festival takes new and original stories from the page to the stage at Mountmellick Community Arts Centre.
Formerly known as Page to Stage, the festival returns in March 2027 with a new name and a renewed focus on celebrating homegrown creativity, storytelling and theatre.
Presented by Mountmellick Arts Collective.
OPEN CALL
Got a story to tell?
We’re inviting submissions for 30-minute plays.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE — 17 NOVEMBER 2026
Homegrown: The Mountmellick Playwrights Festival is inviting writers to submit 30-minute plays for our 2027 festival.
Selected work will be brought from the page to the stage at Mountmellick Community Arts Centre on 20 March 2027.
Send your play to submissions@mmplays.ie
03 / THE FIRST SPARK
Where can a play idea come from?
01
Something you’ve lived through
A memory, experience or moment you can’t stop thinking about.
02
A conversation you overheard
One strange sentence can be enough to spark a whole story.
03
History or folklore
A local story, old legend or forgotten event can become something completely new on stage.
04
A classic story, reimagined
A myth, legend or well-known tale told in a fresh way.
05
Start with ‘What if…?’
What if one small twist changed everything? Sometimes one question is enough to spark a story.
06
Something you care about
Funny, serious, strange or personal — there is no set theme.
The important part? Start writing.
04 / Q&A WITH FESTIVAL DIRECTOR GIULIA GRILLO
A little guidance. A lot of possibility.
05 / SAVE THE DATES
Two nights of new theatre
19–20 March 2027
19 March 2027 — An evening featuring ten 10-minute plays. 20 March 2027 — Three 30-minute plays. Programme details and participating plays will be announced closer to the festival.
Tickets coming soon
06 / BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Follow the journey
From first drafts to opening night — follow the journey from page to stage.
Rehearsals, writers, behind-the-scenes updates and festival announcements.
A glimpse behind the curtain
07 / LET’S TALK THEATRE
Get in touch
Our festival email addresses are being set up. The planned addresses below are not yet active.
GENERAL ENQUIRIES
info@mmplays.ie
PLAY SUBMISSIONS
submissions@mmplays.ie
ACCOUNTS
accounts@mmplays.ie