Autumn writing opportunities at Alphabetti

Published: 10 August 2021
Reporter: Peter Lathan

Alphabetti Theatre

Newcastle’s Alphabetti Theatre is running five writing competitions this autumn, each related to a production from the autumn season.

Open to any writers, new or established, who are over 16, the competitions are for 15-minute plays written in response to the five plays in the season. The winning script in each competition will be professionally produced and performed, and the writer will be paid £500.

To enter, writers must watch one of the season's plays during the first week of performance (Tuesday–Thursday). On arriving at the box office, the entrant should ask for a Writer's Pack which will contain information about cast, director, any other conditions of entry and information about how to submit the script.

Entrants will then have until midnight that Friday to write a complete 15-minute play responding to any aspect of the production, but the instructions in the pack must be followed carefully for the entry to be considered.

The entries will be judged by Ben Dickenson (Associate Literary Producer at Alphabetti), Mark Calvert (former Associate Director at Northern Stage and now Artistic Director of Tiny Dragon) and well-established NE actor Paula Penman. Because of the number of expected entries, Alphabetti regrets that it will not be possible to offer comments / notes to unsuccessful entrants.

Successful applicants will be notified by the Sunday of that week. The winning script then goes into rehearsal for a week and will be professionally performed in a double-bill with the production it is reacting to during the third and final week of the run (Tuesday–Thursday).​

More details and a listing of the plays for which responses are invited can be found on Alphabetti’s Writing Opportunities web page.

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