Playwriting Retreat with Eva O’Connor

A PLACE TO CONNECT

Spend four nights on the wild Pembrokeshire coast immersed in the craft of playwriting. Whether you’re beginning a new play, developing an existing script or simply curious about writing for the stage, this retreat is an invitation to give your work the time, attention and space it deserves.

With award-winning playwright Eva O’Connor as guest tutor, we’ll explore emotional truth, character, dialogue and conflict through practical workshops and generous stretches of independent writing, alongside meditation, shared silence and time in nature.

In a small community of fellow writers, you’ll have the space to follow your ideas, take creative risks and get closer to the play you want to write.

RETREAT DATES

Wednesday 2 - Sunday 6 December 2026

Book here

What you will experience on this retreat:

  • Dedicated writing time each day to develop your play

  • Playwriting workshops with award-winning playwright Eva O’Connor

  • A choice of guided playwriting exercises each morning

  • A restorative digital detox to create space for your writing

  • Meditation and mindful movement to support your creative practice

  • Periods of shared silence for focused writing

  • Nourishing seasonal food throughout the retreat

  • Coastal walks and optional sea swims

  • Time to connect with a small community of fellow writers

WHAT TO EXPECT

Daily Retreat Schedule

7:30am – Movement + meditation

8:30am – Breakfast

9:00am – Independent writing time

12:00pm – Community circle

1pm – Lunch

2pm – Personal time (guided walks, sea swims & hot tub available)

4pm – Afternoon tea

5pm – Playwriting workshop

6:30pm – Dinner

8pm – Evening gathering

9pm – Retreat moves into silence until 12pm the next day

A person with long dark hair and glasses, wearing a brown sweater, standing outdoors with trees and greenery in the background.
View through a window showing a grassy field, ocean, and clear sky.

Accommodation

An 18th-century rectory with huge gardens on the slopes of Angel Mountain, overlooking the wild North Pembrokeshire coastline, less than a mile’s walk from the sea. From the doorstep, you can explore beautiful walks through sacred sites, mountains, woods, valleys, as well as the spectacular Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

A variety of accommodation is available, including triple, twin and private rooms. Each room offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape and a plush, inviting bed to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

Steaming bowl of soup on a wooden table near a window.

Food

Our local chef Martin Simcock, also known as The Constant Cook, will provide a fully catered selection of nourishing vegetarian meals throughout the retreat. Working with natural, locally sourced ingredients, Martin cooks mindfully and from the heart.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included. Expect generous seasonal dishes, vibrant flavours, and freshly baked cakes served with afternoon tea. His food is always a highlight of the retreat and regularly receives rave reviews, which you can read here.

GUEST TUTOR

Eva O’Connor

Eva O’Connor is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose work has been produced in Ireland, the UK and internationally.

Her play Mustard won a Scotsman Fringe First and was adapted for screen for RTÉ television, while Overshadowed was adapted as a short-form series for BBC Three. Chicken, co-written with Hildegard Ryan, won the Filipa Bragança Award at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as Pick of the Fringe at Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Her most recent play, For Dolores, produced by Fishamble: The New Play Company, had sell-out runs at Galway International Arts Festival and the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe, where it won a Braggi Award for excellence in new writing.

Eva’s work often brings the personal and political into conversation. She campaigned for the repeal of Ireland’s Eighth Amendment, and her play Maz & Bricks toured Ireland in the lead-up to the historic 2018 referendum. Alongside Hildegard Ryan, Eva also runs Future Limerick, Ireland’s first climate arts festival.

Person meditating indoors, sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor, surrounded by chairs.

Silence

This retreat will include periods of silence as an essential element of connection with self, community and nature. If you are new to spending time in silence in the company of other people, it can feel awkward to begin with. But you will be encouraged to explore the silent periods with a spirit of openness and curiosity: many find it a very powerful experience.

The retreat will typically move into silence in the evening from 9pm – 12pm the following day.

Woman sitting in a cozy chair by a window, writing in a notebook, surrounded by potted plants.

Digital detox

This retreat invites you to step away from screens and return to a slower, more connected rhythm of living. On arrival, you’ll be asked to hand in your phone so you can fully immerse yourself in the experience. Loved ones will be given a dedicated retreat phone number so you can be reached if needed.

There will be no laptops, tablets or digital devices during the retreat: an intentional pause that allows you to rest your mind, notice the world around you, and reconnect with yourself and others.

RETREAT COSTS

    • Triple Room, Shared Bathroom – £625

    • Twin Room, En-Suite – £725

    • Private Room, Shared Bathroom - £925

  • One fully funded place is available on this retreat for a social movement activist or frontline worker.

    For more details click here.

  • A non-refundable deposit of £175 is necessary to secure your place, with full payment due 8 weeks before the retreat begins.

    For full terms and conditions please click here.

BOOK A PLACE

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • Not at all. The retreat is open to experienced playwrights and writers who are completely new to writing for the stage. You might already be working on a play, have an idea you want to explore, or simply be curious about playwriting.

  • No. You’re very welcome to bring an existing project, but you don’t need to. Eva’s workshops and writing exercises will help you generate new material as well as develop work already underway.

  • Absolutely. Exploring playwriting can open up new approaches to character, dialogue, relationships, conflict and emotional truth, which can also enrich writing in other forms.

  • Each retreat hosts up to 14 participants.

    Keeping the group small helps create a calm and supportive atmosphere while still allowing space for meaningful conversation and connection. Many participants find that the small group size helps foster a sense of community while still leaving plenty of room for quiet and solitude.

  • Yes. Most retreat participants come on their own, and we actively encourage this.

    Coming alone often helps people step more fully into the retreat experience. Without the usual roles and routines of everyday life, many people find it easier to settle into the rhythm of writing, reflection, and rest.

    Although participants arrive independently, the small group size and shared experience naturally create a warm and supportive atmosphere. By the end of the retreat, many people feel they have formed meaningful connections while still having had plenty of space for solitude.

  • Yes. The retreat follows a clear structure but is intentionally flexible. There is space to move, rest, step out, or engage in ways that work for you.

    If you have specific needs or questions, you are very welcome to contact Holly in advance.

  • The venue does not have step-free access. However, all workshops and meals take place on the ground floor, and there are two private bedrooms available on the ground floor.

    The shared communal living and writing space is located upstairs and is accessed via one flight of approximately 15 stairs.

    If you have access needs or questions and are unsure whether the retreat will be suitable for you, please feel very welcome to contact Holly in advance to discuss this.

  • Yes. Walks along the coast, swims in the sea, and time spent outdoors are a wonderful part of the retreat experience, and we strongly encourage them.

    However, we ask retreatants not to go into the nearby town during the retreat. The intention is to create a contained environment where everyone can step away from everyday life and fully enter the slower rhythm of the retreat.

    Most people find that staying within the retreat space helps deepen the sense of focus, community, and creative immersion.

  • All retreats are held at:
    The Old Rectory
    Gelli Olau, Fishguard Road
    Newport SA42 0UE

  • The nearest train stations are Fishguard & Goodwick and Haverfordwest.

    Local taxis are available but must be pre-booked, as this is a rural area.

    Once you’ve booked, you’ll be invited to a ride-sharing form where retreatants can offer or request lifts or share taxis. Return journeys are often easiest to organise once everyone is together.

    For international guests, the nearest airport is Bristol.

  • Arrival is from 4pm on the first day.
    Departure is by 10:30am on the final day.

    It is an important part of the shared experience to arrive and depart together.

  • We ask retreat-ants to commit to the full duration of the retreat, including the opening and closing circles.

    If you’re unable to attend the full retreat on these dates, we recommend choosing a different retreat that better fits your availability.

  • The retreats are either vegetarian or plant-based.

    We can comfortably accommodate vegan and gluten-free diets, as well as nut allergies. Please tell us about any dietary requirements via the form sent with your booking confirmation.

    More specific or complex dietary needs may require a small supplement to cover additional catering costs. We will always contact you in advance if this applies.

  • Sadly no. Some retreatants have allergies, and we need to keep shared spaces pet-free.

  • Apart from prescribed medication, we ask retreatants to refrain from using drugs and alcohol for the duration of the retreat.

  • This is sometimes possible. Retreat pricing is per person rather than per room, and sharing a private room with a partner may be available with an additional supplement. Please contact Holly directly to discuss availability.

For any further questions, please contact Holly at hello@hollyrigby.co.uk