The Bruntwood Prize – the biggest playwriting competition in the UK, both in terms of number of submissions and prize money – has been launched, so time to get your scripts ready before the June deadline.
The biennial Bruntwood Prize is organised by The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and property company Bruntwood. It is open to all playwrights aged 16 and over across the UK.
The prize has a comprehensive website, featuring everything from submission guidelines, to writing inspiration, to FAQ, to pointers from past winners. Check out this resource before submitting.
Michael Oglesby, chairman of Bruntwood, said: “We are delighted to be launching the sixth edition of the Bruntwood Prize. It provides a unique opportunity for aspiring playwrights to have access to a network of opportunities which help them to bring their plays to the stage.”
Broadcaster and journalist Kirsty Lang will chair the judging panel. Her fellow judges include Dr Who screenwriter Russell T. Davies, previous Bruntwood Prize winner Phil Porter and actor Don Warrington.
What you get: Their a prize money pot of £40,000 to be divided according to the decision of the judges. Traditionally, this has been awarded as a £16,000 prize to the winner, with three Judges Awards of £8,000.
Each of the winners will enter into a development process with the Royal Exchange Theatre. The winning scripts, will be announced at an awards ceremony in Manchester this November.
What to submit: An original, unperformed full-length play. Only one submission per writer will be accepted. The play must be an hour long or more in playing time. They do not accept translations, adaptations of other pieces of work or musicals. They also do not accept plays written exclusively for younger audiences.
The play must not be under consideration by any other theatre or part of an active production process.* Note that plays must be submitted under a pseudonym – see website for full details before applying.
*Please note: you can send in a play that you’ve submitted to other competitions but if your play wins or gets commissioned for production, you’d need to withdraw it from the Bruntwood Prize. See below, taken from their FAQ’s:
“We would actively encourage you to enter your script into any Prizes and competitions for which it is eligible. However, if your script wins or is commissioned / optioned for production by another company during the process of Judging for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, you will need to contact us as soon as possible to withdraw from the competition. At that point, the script would become ineligible for this competition.”
How to apply: Scripts can be submitted via an online form.
What you win: The prize fund is £40,000 for the judges to distribute at their discretion. No production is guaranteed, but all winners will have the opportunity to begin a relationship with the Royal Exchange, with a view to production.
Deadline: Monday 5 June 2017 at 6pm
Source: Bruntwood Prize Website
I am an Iranian playwright who has published my plays in London and in English, and I am interested in participating in your prize. My question is, can I work with you as an Iranian writer? Does your prize accept the published plays?
Yours sincerely
Mohsen Seraji
Hi Mohsen, The prize is actually closed for submissions for this year, but if you have further questions, we’d recommend contacting the organisers directly. Thanks!