Among the tools available to the playwright dialogue is the most obvious and possibly least understood element of craft. In this session we will identify some of the many uses of dialogue and discuss how the writer uses this tool to explore, discover and build a play. We will also discuss how actors and other theatre artists approach the play on the page and consider how this can inform us in the way that we approach using dialogue.Although my focus in this session will be on playwriting, writers of all genres are welcome.