First Draft

Variety is the spice of life for First Draft Manchester, whose bi-monthly nights serve up a cultural smorgasbord of delicacies. Purveyors of poetry, fiction and spoken word are joined by comedians, musicians and performing artists of wide-ranging persuasions.

2017 marks First Draft’s first birthday, following packed shows as audiences kept returning for more. The organisational team of Abi Hynes, Harry Jelley and Andrew Williamson have ensured the freshness of each event by insisting on the rule that material must be original. For performers, it’s the perfect place to trial new pieces of writing or scripts, while audiences know they won’t just see the same old tried and tested content. Williamson, a self-described ‘buffoon’, comperes to allow smooth segues from one act to the next.

There’s an open call to join the fun which you can answer via their online contact form. Slots are 5-10 minutes and a theme, or ‘creative prompt’, is issued before each show. Otherwise, anything goes, as you can see for yourself at their next happening on Monday 20 February at The Castle Hotel, which is billed as ‘Fresh’. For their first edition of 2017, it’s an entirely new cast of performers and, as ever, it’s free entry.