At a time when we are all missing out on the magic of going to the theatre, The One Show, along with The Shakespeare North Playhouse is launching an exciting new playwriting competition.
The competition gives children and young people across the UK the opportunity to see their ideas come to life on stage. They hope this will help inspire the next generation of playwrights as well as encouraging a love of theatre and the arts in children and young people.
The deadline for entering the competition is just before midnight on Monday 31st August 2020.
All you need to enter is an idea for a play, a short description of up to four of the main characters and the first few opening lines. You’ll also need to tell them what having the opportunity to write your play and have it performed on stage would mean to you.
From the ideas submitted, three finalists from each of the three categories will be chosen and announced on The One Show during autumn 2020. They will then have the opportunity to develop their ideas with professionals and write their final play.
A winner will be selected from each category based on their final play. Winners will be announced on The One Show in early 2021 and an excerpt from their play will be shown on the programme. The final three winners will receive a special award and have their play performed at The Shakespeare North Playhouse when it opens in 2022.
The development of The Shakespeare North Playhouse is being overseen by The Shakespeare North Trust. It is currently being constructed in Prescot on Merseyside.
Once built, it will complete the UK’s Shakespearean triangle – London – Stratford-upon-Avon – Prescot. Alongside a flexible 350 seat theatre, the Playhouse will also provide educational facilities, a visitor centre and additional performance spaces including an outdoor performance garden.
There’s more on the background and construction of the new theatre on the Shakespeare North Playhouse’s own website:
https://www.shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/
How to Apply:
Make your submission using the ACT ONE online entry form, ACT TWO online entry form or ACT THREE online entry form as early as possible before the deadline. Please make sure you have all the information outlined below before you start your form. ALL entries must be submitted by a parent or guardian.
Tell them about your idea for a play in no more than 300 words.
What is the theme of the play? The following themes might all serve as inspiration: LOVE, HATE, FAMILY, POWER, FRIENDSHIP, MONEY, FAME, COMEDY, GOOD VS BAD, COURAGE and HEROISM or you could choose your own theme.
What is the play about and what is going to happen? Is it an adventure with pirates or spaceships? Is it all about a particular fictional family or group of friends? Is it about the world or community around us? Could it be a love story? The list is endless…
Does your play have a beginning, middle and end? Think about where and when your play is taking place. Is it set in the future or the past? What will we see in the location you’ve chosen? Could it be set in more than one place?
Have you described all the key moments of the whole story or plot? (Not necessarily in the order outlined above).
List the main characters (no more than 4) with a short description (30 words max) for each.
- What sort of people are they – are they funny, kind, serious, happy or sad, boring? Do they have more than one side to their personality? They want to know what they are like.
- Think about how they look, how they sound. Are they young or old?
- Please note you can have more than four characters in your play if you wish, we just want to know a bit more about up to four of the main ones (update added on 6th July 2020).
Write the suggested opening lines of the play (no more than 5).
- Think about how your play starts. What do the characters say? And what does it tell us about the story.
- Will they grab the audience’s attention when they are performed?
Tell them in no more than 200 words what having the opportunity to write your play and have it performed on stage would mean to you. This will be considered alongside your idea.
Deadline: The deadline for entering the competition is 23.59 Monday 31st August 2020.
Shortlisted entrants must be available to speak to One Show researchers in September and October 2020.
The three finalists in each category selected to move onto the next stage of the competition will be announced on The One Show during autumn 2020.
The next stage of the competition:
The nine finalists (three in each category), will be given the chance to develop their ideas with professionals in an age appropriate way (with a minimum of two mentoring sessions either via video conferencing or in person if possible) and write their final short play (expected to be between 20 and 35 mins in duration).
A panel of judges will then select a winner from each category based on their final play in early 2021. These winners will be announced on The One Show and an excerpt from their play will be performed on the show.
The winners will go on to have the opportunity during 2021 and 2022 to visit The Shakespeare North Playhouse construction site and follow the process as their play is brought to life and performed at the Playhouse following opening.
They aim to be as inclusive as possible and if there are any issues in submitting or completing the form please let them know at asyouwriteit.oneshow@bbc.co.uk.