Playing ON was founded in 2010 by the late playwright Philip Osment and Artistic Director Jim Pope with a bold vision: to harness the power of theatre to platform the voices of marginalised communities.
Our History
Our journey began in the aftermath of the 2009 financial crisis, developing theatre inside hospitals and prisons where authentic storytelling could begin to shift perspectives. This led to our critically acclaimed play Inside, produced in associated with The Roundhouse.
In 2016, we debuted Hearing Things, a play exploring the dilemmas of psychiatry, from the points of view of patients, relatives and staff. This was followed by Can I Help You? in 2019, a haunting two-hander that earned an OFFIE nomination. These works reflected our core approach—bringing together experts by profession and experts by experience to create meaningful dialogue.
Between 2010 and 2020, we delivered a plethora of workshops and projects in many conventional and unconventional community spaces, educational settings, healthcare settings and within the justice system - read more about our past projects in Our Archives.
By 2020, we expanded into new spaces with Drilling Diamonds, a hybrid theatre-music-film project engaging youth at risk of exclusion. This was followed by Urban Tribe and Raising The Roof, co-produced with NHS trusts and care organisations to explore how lived experience can shape our vital health and care systems.
Even through lockdown, we remained active. In 2021, we continued to deliver digital workshops and co-creation projects, offering safe creative space to those often unheard. Our adaptability led us to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Most recently, we launched Playing On Words, a community storytelling programme focusing on experience for new writers, and Artistic Licence, a theatre and film project in collaboration with Lewisham and Bromley Probation services promoting wellbeing, communication and improved relationships.
Today, our history includes partnerships with Lewisham College, Spotlight Youth Services, Rose Bruford, and many others. Our legacy is built not just on performances, but on transformation—individual, collective, and systemic.
“I started off as a participant, and then I became associate artist with the company and then a few years later, I also became a board member. It’s been a great journey...”
The original cast of our first production Inside, in collaboration with The Roundhouse (2010)