Durham Drama Festival is a highlight of the year for the DST community. The annual event is jam-packed with dramatic opportunities; up to nine student written plays perform in just one week of Epiphany term. Opening Night gives the stage to Durham’s best comedy acts, while judges’ feedback sessions help actors and writers develop their skills. And at the end of all of that, the D’Oliviers are a chance to celebrate together!

DDF 2024 will run from the 4th to the 11th of February!

Durham Drama Festival 2023

2023’s General Programme included: 

Diary of an Existential Crisis by Florence Lunnon, June by Shehrzadae Moeed, Cathy and Darla by Olivia Riches, Chance by Yolan Noszkay, You Dunnit by Ben Lycett and Olly Stanton, Dina! The musical by Will Drake and Vivienne Shaw, The Whole of England Stopped when a Policeman Murdered a White Woman, by Louise CoggravePuppets by Barney Watts & Tease by Millie Glennister.

Opening night was agreat success and set the tone for a high quality week of performances, with a hilarious range comedy acts from The Durham Revue, The Stand Socitety, Shellshock & Keith, hosted by Jess Harris in the Assembly Rooms Theatre.

Durham Drama Festival 2022

2022’s General Programme included: 

You Will Hear Me by Yolan Noszkay, Beautiful Nothing by Em Oliver, Marriage Proposal by Yibu Jin, Mrs Alexander by Eloise Richmond, Cottage by Ben Willows, Hotal Charmon by Millie Glennister, Children of Yesterday by Enzo Lebeau & Stage’s Fool by James Murray.

Opening Night was made up of a number of short student-written pieces including:

A Guest Performance from the Durham Revue, The First Classical Monologue You’ll Perform at Drama School written and performed by Stephen Ledger, Life Model by Sascha Lowdermilk-Oppenheim performed by Millie Adams, Shakespeare’s Muse by Rory Mcalpine performed by Emily Browning, Tight Squeeze written and performed by Millicent Stott & Harness by Louise Coggrave.

Durham Drama Festival 2021

2021’s General Programme (and festival!) was completely digital, and included: 

PLUMB by Owen Kennedy, The Republic of Eric by Ryan King, Death of a Disco Dancer by Eric Yu, The Lovers by Esalan Gates, Grace by Miriam Templeman, Degenerate by HMF Jenkins, Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? by Farncesca Haydon-White Alone at the Edge of the Universe by Olivia Jones & Meeting Point by Imogen Usherwood.

Durham Drama Festival 2020

2020s General Programme included: 

Number Theory by Imogen Usherwood, Green Alert by Ryan King, Implosion by Isobel Flower, Laika by Aliya Gilmore, The Landlord’s Arms by Charles Edward Pipe, Lungbarrow’s Insomnia by Aidas Zvirblis, Tourists by Eliott Ancona, He Never Married by Kane Taylor & Fishbowl by Lowri Mathias 

Durham Drama Festival 2019

2019’s General Programme included: 

Save the Date by Ollie Kirkwood, Posideon’s Playhouse by Alex Julian-Ottie, Reckoning by Helena Snider-Martin, Kay & Rex by Madaline Horton, Fire on Beacon Hill by HMF Jenkins, Ophelia is also Dead by Aliya Gilmore, Tuesday by Andrew Cowburn, Whatever Happened to Christopher Robin? by Charlie Whitehead & Ladies Who Lunch by Niamh Collins.

Durham Drama Festival 2018

2018s General Programme included: 

Aqua Spectacular by Jasmine Price, The Adventures of Slick Tuffman by Mike Bedigan, Cloudburst by Zac Tiplady, Eve by Carrie Gaunt, The Empiricist by Caspar Bayliss, hypoclitical by Kitty Briggs and Andy Ball, Marsistan by Hamza Adam Rafique, Flowers ‘n’ That by Broccan Tyzack-Carlin & The House of Influenza by Andrew Shires.