Nottingham Playhouse has announced the line-up for the Spring programme for AMPLIFY SEASONS, with brand new work from Midlands artists being featured.

With 3 work-in-progress shows and a headline show, AMPLIFY SEASONS: SPRING offers an evening of bold new work, fresh perspectives and original voices, celebrating new talent from across the region. AMPLIFY SEASONS: SPRING takes place on Friday 10 April in the Neville Studio at Nottingham Playhouse.

The triple-bill of work-in-progress is titled Finding Our Feet, and includes:

BORING by Kat Engall, writer and performer

 BORING is a darkly comic one woman show written and performed by Kat Engall which explores the exhausting performance of trying to be interesting.

Through a series of confessional and comedic moments, she tries to prove she is interesting enough. She laughs at jokes she doesn’t find funny, forces herself into social situations she doesn’t enjoy and spirals through FOMO; all the while comparing her own life to the extreme achievements of people like Tom Cruise.

But, what happens when we stop trying to perform an interesting life and start being ourselves instead?

Jackdaw by Alicja Shaw

In a world where guilt is the only truth and the law is everywhere, how does one man navigate his way to liberty?

Set in 1935 Prague, Jackdaw is a haunting exploration of identity, expectation and rebellion. Inspired by the life and writing of Franz Kafka, the play follows a young man caught between his inner world and the crushing weight of his father’s ambition, revealing a deeply personal struggle that echoes far beyond one family.

Jackdaw is the story of a son trying to be seen — and a father determined to define him.

Silent Tsunami by Jess Driver, writer and producer

Silent Tsunami immerses the audience in an elderly woman’s world, where time shifts, stories blur and memories resurface in waves.

As she folds, tidies and recounts her life, she invites her audience on an emotional journey, revealing truths while navigating home. A story that captures connection, memory and confusion – the silence before a storm. Some waves you never see coming.

Jess Driver is a member of the Nottingham Playhouse Homegrown Creatives and this is the first time the work has been performed to an audience.

The headline show is F*ck You, Claire, which received great feedback when it featured as a work-in-progress show in an earlier Amplify Seasons programme:

F*ck You, Claire by Sugar Theatre

Penelope is 24 years old. She spends most of her life in her tiny bedroom and fears pretty much everything. As existential anxieties begin to mount, functioning as an adult human being starts to seem impossible – particularly with the introduction of her unwanted, fiendish new roommate, Claire.

Dealing with some heavy topics but in a fluffy, light-hearted way, working WITH the audience to create a night at the theatre that they hope will stick with the audience.

The AMPLIFY SEASONS: SPRING programme was created through an open ideas submissions window, with a decision-making panel of 10 going through entries and the Artist Development producer curating the final selection. The panel consisted of local artists and the Nottingham Playhouse creative community, who were able to learn more about the programming process.

There are four AMPLIFY: SEASONS events per year which give artists the chance to connect with, and receive feedback from, audiences and industry on their work at various stages of development.

Beccy D’Souza, Artist Development Producer, said:

“AMPLIFY SEASONS: SPRING gives audiences and artists a chance to discover new work by local artists, feed into the development process of the work, and have a great night out at the same time. Pushing through the narrative of artists, audiences and theatres not taking risks, these are nights where artists and audiences place faith in each other.

“The vibe is supportive, interesting and most of all exciting. This SPRING 2026 we have a returning artist from our SUMMER 2025 line up, Sugar Theatre, bringing the full length, further developed F*ck You, Claire alongside a triple bill of work in progress, all from Midlands artists – our audiences are in for an energetic, poignant and energising evening.”

Amplify Seasons is supported by The Fenton Arts Trust and the Noel Coward Foundation.