A new playwrights’ retreat is set to take shape in Sydney after philanthropist Ruth Ritchie purchased a Darlinghurst terrace for Griffin Theatre Company, marking a significant boost for Australian playwriting.

Ritchie, a former Sydney Theatre Company foundation director who resigned last year following an onstage pro-Palestinian protest, paid $2.6 million for the three-bedroom property at 15 Craigend Street, adjacent to Griffin’s offices and the historic Stables Theatre site in Kings Cross.

Griffin’s new playwrights’ retreat at 15 Craigend St. Kings Cross.

The purchase has been gifted to Griffin as a one-off donation and will be transformed into a dedicated writers’ centre, providing a permanent creative base for playwrights. The company, which has been resident at the Stables Theatre for 46 years, is currently undertaking a $23 million redevelopment of the venue, due to reopen soon.

Griffin said the terrace would serve as a “home for playwrights in perpetuity”, supporting artists with space to write, research and collaborate. Plans under consideration include short-term accommodation for interstate and regional writers, hot-desking facilities, meeting rooms, and areas for script readings and creative development, as well as a specialist library of plays and theatre texts.

The organisation is expected to establish a separate legal entity to manage the property, drawing on international creative land trust models aimed at securing long-term, affordable space for artists amid increasing urban gentrification.