Following the success of its festivals over the last five years, Royal & Derngate’s artist support programme Generate launches GenFest 2025, featuring an exciting programme of events, taking place at the theatre in November. Dedicated to supporting emerging and established artists from Northamptonshire and across the East Midlands, this autumn’s GenFest will run from Sunday 16 to Saturday 22 November.

Over the course of the festival, artists and audiences are invited to attend performances, showcases, works-in-progress, workshops and networking sessions. After every scratch performance, whether it be in early development or more fully realised, audiences will have a chance to give feedback in Q&A sessions, helping artists shape the next stage of their work.

Generate Associate Artists BoonDog Theatre will be presenting their one-woman show Lovett, a fascinating, darkly comic tale of Mrs Lovett’s life before she met Sweeney Todd, recently seen at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and now taking to the Royal stage. Other performances in the Royal include Lou Chawner’s darkly funny one-man play Sniff the Flowers and a Student Take Over featuring four new 30-minute plays created specially by members of the University of Northampton’s BA Acting programme.

There will be a pop up performance of Jo Meredith and Willliam South’s new dance theatre piece Disparate Harmony, while performances in the theatre’s newly refurbished Underground Studio include Claire Nelson’s powerful one-woman show, MotherHood, exploring the impact of knife crime on mothers, Part of The Main’s play about climate crisis, BIOSPHERE, and no more superheroes.’ Red Rosa, telling the story of Rosa Luxemburg. Bringing the festival to a close this year will be the new musical, Dorothy and Her Very Many Friends, a surreal dark comedy by Generate Associate Artist Jude Taylor.

The GenFest programme also features workshops with industry professionals, giving insight into the creative process. This includes the Writing for Musical Theatre masterclass with Darren Clark (composer for The Jolly Christmas Postman and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and a full day of workshops and Q&As at the Writing Doesn’t Have to be Lonely Writers Residency. There are also free one-to-one Advice Surgeries available with Creative Producer Jen Sullivan of In Good Company.

Operating since 2012, Royal & Derngate’s artist development programme Generate is committed to supporting the work and development of artists, with opportunities including rehearsal and performance space, mentorship, scratch opportunities, masterclasses, funding, networking, placements, ticket offers and special one-off events and commissions.

Royal & Derngate’s Associate Director (Engagement & New Work) Erica Martin commented: “We look forward to showcasing some amazing new work at this year’s GenFest festival and welcoming people to a brilliant range of workshops and networking opportunities. Our Generate Artist Development programme is such an important part of our work, and we are thrilled to be able share with our audiences more of the exciting projects and artists we are supporting.”

Tickets for workshops and performances range from £5 to £15, with Festival Passes available. For more information, times and dates, and to book, visit www.royalandderngate.co.uk/genfest or call Box Office on 01604 624811. More events will be added to the schedule over the coming months.

GENFEST SCHEDULE – Sunday 16 to Saturday 22 November 2025

Sunday 16 November

10am-5pm– Writing Doesn’t Have To Be Lonely GenFest Writers Residency

  • 10am WDHTBL Workshop (Writing 101)
  • 11.15am WDHTBL Q&A and Workshop (In Conversation with Sara Bodinar on The Art of High Concept)
  • 1.30pm WDHTBL Workshop (Writing with Less Words)
  • 2.45pm WDHTBL Workshop (World Building & Character Development)
  • 4.15pm WDHTBL Q&A and Workshop (In Conversation with Jesse Jones)

5pm – GenFest Launch Event

Royal

Monday 17 November

7pm – Student Take Over by University of Northampton BA Acting Programme

Royal

Tuesday 18 November

10am-3.30pm – The Investigations – a performance making game followed by a sharingwith In Good Company

Underground

11am-4pm – One-to-One Advice Surgeries with In Good Company

Lola’s Bar

6pm – Disparate Harmony– dance performance by Jo Meredith

Pop up

7.30pm – Lovett by BoonDog Theatre

Royal

Wednesday 19 November

6pm – MotherHood by Claire Nelson

Underground

7.30pm – Sniff The Flowers by Lou Chawner

Royal

Thursday 20 November

7pm – Red Rosa by no more superheroes.

Underground

Friday 21 November

7pm –BIOSPHERE by Part of The Main

Underground

Saturday 22 November

1pm-3pm – Writing for Musical Theatre masterclass with Darren Clark

Vulcan Works

4pm-6pm – Musical Theatre Network – Producers and Artists network event hosted by Musical Theatre Network, China Plate and Royal & Derngate

7pm – Dorothy & Her Very Many Friends by Jude Taylor

Underground

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