The Winner will be awarded a package worth £10,000!

Open to writers in the UK who are aged 16 years and above: Submissions will open June 2024 and close 11:50pm on 30th September 2024. 

All plays are submitted anonymously to the competition and will be read by an expert panel of readers appointed by Titchfield Festival Theatre. There is an extensive three stage process to the reading before creating the shortlist. The final panel of readers will compile a shortlist of 10 plays for the Judges to consider. The Judges will receive the shortlist of scripts Mid November 2024.

Different plays reach different stages in our reading and consideration of the entries, but all of them are subjected to the same criteria and process. We have a large dedicated team of readers to process the entries. These readers are experienced in reading scripts for the stage. They are made up of directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, facilitators and educators.

There are various stages to the reading process. Throughout the process, the script remains anonymous. Unfortunately we can not enter into a dialogue with any writer about their entry, the readers or discussions about their work.

The information in the tabs are designed to let you know what happens after your play is submitted. It is in no way an indication of what kind of play you should write or how you should write it.

First Stage

All the scripts entered for TFT's NEW Playwriting Competition are read by one of our readers, who each work through a proportion of the entries. We guarantee to read at least the first 30 pages of every script entered.

At this stage we are reading for the quality of the dramatic writing according to the broadest possible criteria:

Subject Matter – where narrative-driven or not, is there a clear sense of story which is for the stage, is there a sense that the writer is pursuing something that excites them?

Dialogue and Language – at whatever level, does the script show a feel for speech and dialogue? Does the writer create a sense of drama through the language and think about language as a live means of expression on stage? Does the writer engage with language (physical and verbal) in an interesting way?

Development – does the script put things at stake, is there a sense of drama and conflict, do the characters develop and change through the play, does the world or situation develop and change, does the audience go on a journey?

Audience – does the play engage with a live audience as a piece of theatre or does it have the potential to do that.

Scripts are then categorized by our readers into –
Group A – immediate further read, go straight to Third Stage

Group B – Second Stage

Group C – no further progress

Second Stage

Readers are encouraged to recommend plays for a second read if there is any doubt in their mind or feel a second pair of eyes should take a look at the play. A second reader will read at least the first 30 pages of the script and be making decisions based on the criteria within the first read section above. 

This stage of the process tests the strength of the qualities described in First Stage, whether the potential is clear to two readers and helps define whether the script can enter the next stage of the competition.

Scripts are then categorized by our readers into –
Group A – go to Third Stage

Group B – no further progress

Third Stage

At the Third Read; Each reader reads the entire script, really considering its strengths, and imagining how this play would perform within our theatre spaces. The aim of this stage is to identify the plays which will progress onto the shortlist to be presented to the judges. 

There will also be two new readers at this stage who will have extensive experience of new writing and new work for the theatre. The aim of this stage is to produce a Shortlist of plays that we feel are serious candidates for development and production.

Scripts are then categorized by our readers into –
Group A – One of the Shortlisted Plays

Group B – no further progress

A Shortlist of 10 plays will then be presented to the Judges for the final winner to be selected.

ALL READS will be completed by mid November 2024 with a short list of plays presented to our judges Mid November for the final winner to be selected.

Final Stage

The final 10 plays shortlisted will be presented to our judges, Each judge will read the entire script selecting the ones they wish to hear read by a panel of actors. 

Titchfield Festival Theatre will provide an experienced group of actors, who will read through sections of the play to the panel of judges; aiding them to make the final decision on the play they wish to declare as the TFT NEW Playwriting Competition winner. 

The winner will be announced in December 2024. 

The Prize

The winner of TFT's NEW Playwright Competition will be awarded:
- a cash prize of £1000

- Your Play performed within our Acorn Theatre in February 2025.

- TFT to supply a Director and Actors to stage your production

- TFT Stage design team including set designers and technical team to stage your production in a package worth £10000.

GUIDELINES ARE:
1.Entrants must be sixteen or over. There is no upper age limit. AND must be residing in the UK 
2. Scripts must be submitted anonymously under a pseudonym with no other identifying information on the script
3. We can only accept one entry per person.
4. The play must be an original, unperformed and unproduced piece of work.
5. The play must be a full length play ideally with a two hour playing time including a 20 minute interval.
6. We do not accept translations, adaptations of other pieces of work, musicals or pantomimes. We also do not accept plays written exclusively for younger audiences.
7. The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright and all other related rights to the submitted script.
8. The submitted play must be available for production and unattached to any other theatre or company. Any scripts that have been professionally optioned, produced or published will be disqualified.

SCRIPTS

• The play must be an original, unperformed and unproduced piece of work. Unproduced means the play cannot have received a professional production in any form, anywhere in the world, apart from one rehearsed reading only.
• The play must be an hour long or more in playing time.
• We do not accept translations, adaptations of other pieces of work or musicals. We also do not accept plays written exclusively for younger audiences.
• The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright and all other related rights to the submitted script.
• The submitted play must be available for production and unattached to any other theatre or company. Any scripts that have been professionally optioned, produced or published will be disqualified.
• We do accept plays co-authored by more than one writer. Please ensure that only one entry is submitted with one set of contact details.