SFD Original One-act Playwriting Competition
www.somersetdrama.org.uk ~ Charity No.: 1084863
RULES OF ENTRY
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1. The Competition is open to playwrights residing in the Historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucester, Somerset, Wiltshire and Bristol. There is a separate category for young writers under 25.
2. There is no restriction as to subject, period or convention. Censorship has been abolished, but competitors are strongly advised to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the Theatre Act 1968.
3. Entries must not have been performed in public prior to the One-Act play season (February/March) each year. A script entered in a previous year may be resubmitted, whether re-worked or not, providing it has not been previously performed.
4. Each play must be clearly typewritten, preferably in double-spaced script, and should be submitted by email as a pdf.
5. The first page MUST show the approximate running time (see Guidelines below), a cast list, numbers of male/female characters, and a synopsis of the play in not more than 600 words.
6. Entries must be received by the SFD at the email address shown on the entry form not later than the closing date as currently published on the Original Playwriting Competition page of the SFD website. Emails should be entitled ‘Original Playwriting Competition’.
7. To ensure the script reading panel can not identify the author, competitors must adopt a nom-de-plume which must be typed on the cover of the script, under its title. Any other indication of the playwright’s identity on the script will disqualify the entry. In the case of more than one play being entered by the same author, the same nom-de-plume must be used. But, in the case of an author entering in succeeding years, a different nom-de-plume should be used each year.
8. A current application form must be completed, signed by the competitor and emailed with the script. Once we have confirmed your entry is eligible you will be asked to pay by BACS or cheque. The entry fee is £15.00 per play for members of the Somerset Fellowship of Drama and £20.00 for non-members.
9. The Plays will be judged by a panel of readers with relevant theatrical experience. The decision of the panel will be final. Each author will receive a short review of their play.
10. Provided the scripts are of sufficiently good standard, a shortlist will be agreed (maybe including entries from young authors if any are received). Shortlisted scripts may be uploaded to the SFD website, enabling potential directors to select a play for production at the County Drama Festival in the year following the short-listing of the scripts, which will usually be within one month of the published closing date.
11. The results will be announced at the County Drama Festival which is usually held at the end of March. A Challenge Trophy and a cheque for £100 will be presented to the winning author. There will be up to two Highly Commended runners-up who will each receive a cheque for £25. Certificates will be awarded to commended entries. The award for the Young Author under 25 is a certificate and a cheque for £100.
12. Up to three of the submitted one-act play scripts may be selected for production at the County Drama Festival, which is a preliminary stage of the All England Theatre Festival. This festival is judged separately by an experienced adjudicator who will make various awards, including Best Production of an Original Play (which may or may not be any of the entries from the SFD Original Playwriting Competition). Any play selected for performance at the Festival shall be produced in accordance with the Rules for the County Drama Festival and the All England Theatre Festival (see Guidelines below), and directed by a drama group affiliated to the Fellowship. Should any such group wish to discuss the project during production, the Fellowship reserves the right to make known the playwright’s contact details. `
13. Consideration will be given to any author who would like to produce their own play, should it be chosen for presentation at the Festival. The Somerset Fellowship of Drama would need some background information to confirm that the performance is likely to reach a sufficiently high standard to be viable entertainment. To this end, we reserve the right to withdraw this option should such evidence not be forthcoming.
14. Should any group wish to produce a play, they will have to obtain written permission from the author. It is accepted by the authors that any script chosen for production may be staged up to seven times without a charge for royalties. Any additional production would be by negotiation with the author.
GUIDELINES FOR ONE-ACT PLAY ENTRIES IN LINE WITH AETF RULES
(see also www.aetf.org.uk for further details)
• Performance length should be between 20 and 55 minutes. To get some idea of how long your play will run, try timing how long it takes to read the finished script aloud and then add time for any business, scene changes etc.
• Festival plays should have a minimum of two speaking parts on stage.
• Festival conditions impose certain limitations on production. Technical rehearsal time available in a theatre before a performance may sometimes be less than an hour, so complicated lighting and sound effects can be difficult to achieve successfully. The time allowed for installing a set is only ten minutes, and for striking just five minutes, which tends to favour simplified settings.
Updated Jan 2023