Local playwrights uncover Hastings' hidden stories in new theatre series at Stade Hall

Spun Glass Theatre is launching Pizza & Plays, a new theatre night inspired by Hastings' history, created in partnership with Hastings Museum & Art Gallery. The event is bringing together playwrights, Hastings Museum archives, local food and community celebration under one roof.

Supported by Arts Council England, the project challenges three writers to immerse themselves in the stories, folklore and forgotten histories of Hastings, to create an entirely original new short play. Rather than responding to a set theme, each writer has complete freedom to discover the stories that inspire them. Each play will be rehearsed in just five days before being performed live across one of three evenings: Friday 18 September, Friday 30 October and Saturday 5 December

Creative Director Ross Drury said: "Pizza & Plays combines my three favourite things: plays, pizza and parties. But underneath that is a much bigger idea. We wanted to create something that reflects Hastings and the people who live here. Theatre shouldn't feel like something separate from the community; it should be somewhere people come together to share food and conversations, discovering something new about the place they call home."

Each evening of Pizza & Plays features a different playwright responding to a different aspect of Hastings' identity. The first writer in the series, Chloë Lawrence-Taylor, is Spun Glass Theatre's new Playwright-on-Attachment, whose previous work has been developed with the National Theatre and Hampstead Theatre. Her new play, Hannah, Jack and Tomorrow Too, follows two young people returning home to Hastings while drawing inspiration from the festival's mythology, local history and questions about ambition, sacrifice and belonging.

Chloë said: "I spent time with the museum archive team exploring Hastings' stories, from pioneering women doctors and Fairlight Glen to Jack in the Green and Hannah the Witch. What interested me most was how history still echoes in young people's lives today, and how people imagine extraordinary futures when they sometimes feel trapped by circumstance."

Each show is accompanied by pizza from local favourites Duke Harper Pizza and followed by a post-show party hosted by Remi Vibesman (Hidden Beach), transforming a theatre visit into a social event that reflects the character of Hastings itself.

As a registered Hastings charity, Spun Glass Theatre has designed Pizza & Plays to be as accessible as possible. Tickets are offered on a Pay What You Can basis (£5, £10 or £15), ensuring cost is not a barrier to attending.

Ross Drury adds:

"We want people who may never normally come to the theatre to feel welcome. Pizza & Plays is about making theatre feel social, relaxed and exciting."

Pizza & Plays

The Stade Hall, Hastings

●     Friday 18 September 2026 – by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor

●     Friday 30 October 2026 – by Anna Atkinson

●     Saturday 5 December 2026 – by Elijah W. Harris

Doors: 6pm

Performance: 7.30pm

Hidden Beach Party: 8.15pm

Fresh pizza available before the performance.

Tickets are Pay What You Can (£5, £10 or £15).