Alice Coghlan

Director and Writer in Rush, Co Dublin, Ireland

Hello to you, I'm Alice, a Dramaturg or script Mentor and Artistic Director of Wonderland Productions.

Every Tuesday from 1700-1930 I host Wonderland Theatre Book Club online. Ours is a lively international Book Club for writers and artists who want to ignite their craft by reading important plays together.

Each fortnight we analyse the playwrighting and stagecraft of a great play from Ancient Greece to the Modern Stage. Then at the second Book Club of the fortnight, we share the short works we have written in response to this play with our peers. Our current Club is ‘ Around the World in Classic Plays.',

I trained as a Literary Reader for The Abbey Theatre, Ireland's National Theatrefor 12 years. My role at the Abbey, was to read and report in depth on up to 6 new plays a month, attend Literary Department script meetings and to report on the Irish theatre scene. My detailed reporting took each new play I read, through a process of analysis, diagnosis and prognosis, under headings such as structure, character, theatricality and style.

Now using my work with the Abbey Theatre as my model, I can read and annotate your new play, write a report based on the Abbey's own templates, and then meet with you online or in Rush to plan it's onward journey in depth.

If you're thinking of hiring me as your Dramaturg or Mentor, it may interest you to know that I hold a First Class Honours in Drama & English from Trinity College Dublin, with a scholarship year at The University of California at Berkeley and a MA in Theatre Directing. I have since directed over 70 shows and I am a qualified Drama teacher.

I know all about the challenges of original writing as I have written and professionally produced 4 of my own plays, 3 translations and 3 adaptations, many of which I include in the video highlights.

I accomplished this by founding and running my own theatre company Wonderland Productions in 2003, through which I have written, directed, produced and designed my own work.

Aside from writing, I am a Staff/Assistant Director for opera. I have worked for The Royal Opera House, Scottish Opera and Opera Ireland specialising in the Italian repetoire to date.

I speak Czech, Italian and English at home and also have translated from French. As I have a Czech husband we spend lots of time in South Bohemia. I love cooking, hiking and travel.

For google!New Play help, Play development service, writing for theatre, New Play workshop, New Play Dramaturgy, Staged reading, translation

  • Work
    • Wonderland Productions Ltd
  • Education
    • Trinity College Dublin
    • University of California at Berkeley
    • GITIS Moscow
    • Middlesex University
    • Rugby School
Recommendations
I've attended a number of Alice's courses (Techniques of Adaptation, as well as her ongoing Wonderland Theatre Book Club). Alice is enthusiastic, professional and extremely generous in imparting her seemingly limitless knowledge of the world of theatre in a fun and interesting way. I would not have considered play writing without her expert advice and encouragement. Thanks to our Book Club I’ve completed my first draft of my Spanish Armada epic and engaged Alice to help me as my Dramaturg!
Lesely Ann Hogan Writer
I have had the most rewarding playwrighting journey with Alice. Alice, with pin point accuracy, is able to identify and coach a writer through their challenges. I revisit her reports again and again, picking up gems on each occasion. Thanks to her I have one play finished – which won an International Audio Award, and am happily at work on the 3rd draft of my 2nd. I cannot stress enough how helpful and charming Alice is.I am working, and will work with Alice as my Script Mentor again and again.
Eamonn Dolan, Writer
The Wonderland Theatre Book Club has regularly been a highlight of my week. We read a wide range of plays, and I've loved the close analysis of the texts we do as a group. Alice's practical reading of texts has been invaluable to my craft, deepening my understanding of playwriting and theatre making.The exercises which Alice sets really challenge my writing skills and have spurred on whole new projects for me. Our group is both supportive and creatively exciting; I couldn't recommend it enough!
Laura Morgan Writer