Adapting a short story

Friday 20 - Sunday 22 March 2026, 10.00 - 17.00

Arts Admin, Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial Street, London, E1 6AB

Workshop led by Catherine Alexander 

 

Complicité has created many shows adapted from or inspired by short stories; The Street of Crocodiles (Bruno Schultz), Out Of A House Walked A Man… (Daniil Kharms), The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol (John Berger) and The Elephant Vanishes (Haruki Murakami).

This three-day open workshop, led by Complicité Associate Catherine Alexander, is a deep dive into the rehearsal room approaches for adapting short stories. Beyond exploring narrative, these techniques are the building blocks of the rich, visual and sensory work for which the company is known. 

Beginning with the basics of storytelling: narrative structure, rhythm, dialogue and character, we will then work towards abstraction; learning and investing in the writing style of an author in order to explore the story in new ways that remain true to the original work. You will also see how the company uses wide-ranging visual and aural resources to stimulate the imagination and create multi-layered and dynamic theatre. 

Sharing and telling a story as an ensemble is at the core of the process so participants will work in small groups  to evolve a theatrical language and approach that is uniquely theirs.

Catherine is a performer, director and writer and has worked with the company for over thirty years on many shows which were adapted from short stories.

The workshop is open to performers, actors, designers and theatre makers at any stage of their practice. You must be 18 or older to participate.

 

Fee

£300

 

Catherine Alexander

Catherine is a performer, director and writer. She trained at L’Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris and has worked with Complicité for over thirty years. Other work includes Rhinoseros and Romeo a Juliet (Theatr Cymru),  Is That All There Is (Volcano), Hexenhammer (Secretariat) The Gypsy Bible (Opera North), Touching Space (Royal Academy of Art) and Adventures in Moominland and Super Troupers (Southbank Centre). Catherine won the Young Vic’s Jerwood Prize in 2006 and the Amnesty Award in 2011 for her devised production SOLD. 

 

How to Apply

If you are interested in taking part, please send your CV with a photograph and a short statement (max 500 words) telling us why you would like to take part and how you hope it will influence your practice. And please include your mother tongue and fluent languages in the application, as this will help us with the source material for the workshop. Alternatively, you are welcome to send us a video or audio track no longer than 4 minutes. Please send your application to creativeengagement@complicite.org with ‘adapting a short story’ in the subject line.

 

A limited number of half price bursary places are available for applicants who would otherwise be unable to attend this workshop due to financial circumstances. To apply for a bursary place, please note in your statement if you are receiving Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or other financial support.

 

Please let us know if you have any access requirements.

If you have any questions regarding access, please email creativeengagement@complicite.org.

 

The deadline for applications is: Monday 12 January 2026 at 10am

We will reply to all applicants by end of day Monday 19 January 2026, notifying them of the outcome of their application.