Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Matchstick Theatre seeking 1 hour plays for production

Description: Matchstick Theatre are a small independent theatre company, set up in late 2015 and based in South East London. They have produced new plays and adaptations in tunnel arches and festivals around London. They are now located in a new arts and theatre space, the Matchstick Piehouse in Deptford, and planning their 2019 Mainhouse season. They are looking for good stories, and new writing only!

What’s so great about it? If you’re looking for the opportunity  to have your play produced for a 3 week run in 2019 at London’s newest full time fringe theatre venue, then this is for you! Matchstick already have a great track record for producing new work around London and this time, they are looking for plays which run for around an hour and with the flexibility and space for original music and design to be added. Got a script you want to send in? Be quick, you’ve got until 10 December!

Read the full details here.

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Matchstick Theatre 

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Shorts @ The Canal – Love Shots call out

Description: After Shorts @ The Canal – 1&2, Shorts @ The Union and The Twilight Hour season 1&2, Shorts @ The Canal is inviting all writers to submit a play no longer than 15-minute, for their  next show: “Love Shots”. The show will have a love theme and will be performed at the award-winning Canal Cafe Theatre, a renowned comedy and theatre venue in London on 15th & 16th February.

What’s so great about it?  Want your work produced by a company with a brilliant track record for producing successful short play evenings? If yes, check this opportunity out! Previous events run by the same company have been really successful and the evening takes place award-winning venue, the Canal Cafe Theatre. This event has a ‘love’ theme so if you can write a short play with love at its’ heart (see what we did there?!) then you should shoot your submission in! You’ve got until 14 December, go, go, go!

Read the full details here

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Canal Cafe

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Cuckoo Bang accepting submissions for BITS new writing night

Description: BITS is a new writing night showcasing the best emerging and established writers, directors, actors and theatre-makers both in the UK and internationally. Held every other month at The White Bear in Kennington and other venues across London, (most recently Streatham Space Project) BITS provides a platform for new work to be seen, developed and supported. Pieces should be 10-20 minutes in length, have a cast of no more than four people and be suitable for staging in an intimate theatre space.

What’s so great about it? Want your work performed in London in front of an audience including invited industry professionals? Then look no further than BITS , a supportive, friendly, fun and varied night which showcases 6 pieces of new writing . They are very open about the type of scripts they will accept so you don’t have to worry about writing for a specific brief for this one. You have until 10 December to get your 10-20 minute scripts in and the performance takes place in February 19! Go for it!

Read the full details here

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Cuckoo Bang

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: The Director’s Club seeking shorts on theme of ‘Santa’s Secret…’

Description: The Director’s Club from Director’s Cut Theatre are looking for writers to respond to their latest brief ‘Santa’s Secret…’ which will be performed on Monday 17th December at Southwark Playhouse.  They are looking for 5-7 minute monologues, duologues or short plays for up to 4 characters  based on the theme of secrets being kept/hidden at Christmas.

What’s so great about it? Well it is November so that definitely means its’ ok to talk about Christmas, right? And if you feel like bringing a bit of Christmas cheer in to your writing, this opportunity is perfect for you. Feeling more Bah Humbug than Jingle Bells? That’s ok, as they are open to all types of stories – dark or funny – as long as your work responds to the brief of secrets being kept at Christmas!

Selected scripts get their work performed at the wonderful Southwark Playhouse so not only is this opportunity a  lot of fun, it’s also a great way to get your work up on a London stage and work with a professional company.  You’ve got until 22 November to submit, so get going. Now, who said its’ too early for a mince pie…

Read the full details here

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Director’s Cut Theatre

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: The Yard Theatre submissions window open

Description: Twice a year The Yard opens up submissions for scripts, asking you to send in a 10 page sample of your writing and a single page telling us more about you and your piece. All of these will be read by their core team, as well as a small group of trusted readers. From there they will request full scripts from writers, whose ideas excite them and whose work they think could be a good fit for The Yard’s programme.

What’s so great about it? As The Yard only opens its’ submission window twice a year, we thought it was only right to flag it up! As a London theatre with a focus on providing a platform for writers, it’s really worth considering submitting to if you have a script you’re hoping to get noticed. Whilst there are no promises of production, this is a great way to make a connection with an established company – and who knows where it will lead? You’ve got until 3 December to send in your 10 page sample (but don’t forget to polish up the rest of the script in case they request it later!).

Read the full details here

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of The Yard Theatre

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: The Royal Court Theatre and Kudos Writing Fellowships open for applications (£10k bursary)

Description: The Royal Court Theatre and Kudos Television production company have created three new Fellowships for writers already establishing a career. The fellowships will offer three writers a £10,000 bursary to support themselves in order to focus purely on their writing for six months.

What’s so great about it? It’s not often you get the chance of a £10,000 bursary to allow you to focus on your writing alongside an opportunity to work with two hugely renown companies (The Royal Court and Kudos).  For this one, the Royal Court and Kudos are specifically looking for writers who perceive that there are barriers to getting their work developed and produced in theatre and television because of class, disability, education, ethnicity, gender identity, geography or any other barrier – we think opening the doors for someone who has faced any of these barriers is a great thing! If you want to apply, you’ve got until the 16 November to send your full length scripts in, good luck!

Read the full details here. 

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Royal Court Theatre

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick:  The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award open for submissions from radio drama writers (North of England)

Description: The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award is offering a £5,000 writing bursary and the chance of a Radio 4 drama commission to Northern writers new to radio. You don’t need to write a radio drama to enter, but you do need to demonstrate a fresh and original writing voice.

What’s so great about it? This is a fantastic opportunity for all you budding radio writers living in the North of England. Not only does the winner get a £5000 bursary but they  also get the chance of a Radio 4 drama commission and a 12 month mentorship with a Radio Drama producer. If you’d like the chance to get your work on Radio 4’s afternoon drama slot then get submitting! You can send in any script (it doesn’t have to be for radio) as long as it’s original, so what are you waiting for? You’ve got until the 9 November to apply!

Read the full details here.

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of BBC Writersroom

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Caroline Aherne Bursary 2018 open for entries

Description: the bursary, in the memory of the late Caroline Aherne was launched last year at the Salford Sitcom Showcase. Aimed at writer/performers, the bursary will award £5000 to the successful applicant to enable them to fund future development, alongside the guidance of an experienced BBC commissioning editor.

What’s so great about it? This opportunity is one for all you comedy writer/ performers out there and as they are asking for something a little bit different, we thought it was worth flagging up! To apply, you’ll need to send in a film of you performing your own comedy character material but the great thing is, they’re not looking for fancy production skills, they just want to see your talent shine – so if you have an idea in mind, you can even film it on your mobile phone. Whilst they are looking for comedy, there is a serious prize on offer here, with a £5K bursary for the winner and support from the BBC in developing a sitcom idea. You’ve got until 5 September to apply!

Read the full details here

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of BBC Writersroom

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Sharp Scratches seeking new writing for performance at Theatre N16 from writers representing the LGBTQ+ community

Description: Sharp Scratches is an evening of new writing at Theatre N16 in Tottenham, North London. Each night of new writing has a theme and edition. For their November 6th night they are looking for stories and writers that represent the LGBTQ+ community. Whether it’s your first script or your 100th they want to hear from you!

What’s so great about it? Want your work performed at an exciting London venue? Do you have a 15 minute play up your sleeve that you’re dying to get out there? Do you want to try out your work in front of other creatives and professionals? If this sounds like you and you have a story or are a writer that represents the LGBTQ+ community then what are you waiting for? Submissions close on 18 October. Good luck!

Read the full details here.

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Sharp Scratches

Each week we look through our pile of writing opportunities to pick out one we think is particularly worth your time. It could be an innovative brief, great prize money, a high-profile company, or just plain fun.

This week’s pick: Unfolded accepting submissions for new writing night at Southwark Playhouse

Description: Unfolded, a new-writing night with a focus on current affairs, is doing a show at the Southwark Playhouse, on 3rd December 2018.

They’re looking for eight, 10-15 minute pieces based on news from the most recent cycle of current affairs. They want stories that go beyond the headlines, that highlight how the news impacts regular people day-to-day.

What’s so great about it? Unfolded have already had four sold-out shows at the Bread and Roses Theatre so if you apply for this one, you’ll be joining a team who are well seasoned at putting on a new writing night. The performance will take place at the well known Southwark Playhouse so it’s a great way to get your work up on stage at a fantastic London venue! We also like the fact that the brief is to write about current affairs…after all, who doesn’t want to scribble furiously after watching the news? You’ve got until 15 October to submit!

Read the full details here.

Please note, we’ve posted this for your convenience and we’re not affiliated with the organisers of the opportunity.

Photo courtesy of Southwark Playhouse