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London Playwrights’ Projects & News
Members Submission Window 2023: new rolling process!
Selected writers from our 2022 Submission Window
The Literary Series: Interviews with Literary Managers, Dramaturgs and New Work Associates [includes interviews with the National Theatre, RSC, Royal Exchange & more!]
Pay it Forward for Playwrights: A new initiative to help support writers
Playwriting Real-life: London Playwrights Podcast live now! New episode – Interview Errol McGlashan: putting on a one-person show
Members’ Zoom Drop-in session: share your work, meet other writers – first Wednesday of each month!
What do our members get?
London Playwrights’ Zoom Workshops
Find out more about the full programme of workshops here. New sessions for the Autumn term coming soon!
Featured Members Content
Click here to join up and get access to this content and much more! It costs just £3.63 per month!
WrAP2023 Redrafting Materials available for members to download now!
Learn with London Playwrights sessions on ‘Writing Opening Scenes’ and ‘Creating Characters’ available now
Full 8 sessions available now! Online Course: Mastering Dramatic Structure
The LPW Guide to Formatting your Stage Play – Available to download
Digital Resources
Click the images for details of digital resources, online streams, podcasts, and more!
Latest News
Explained: How to increase your membership amount – London Playwrights
ChewBoy Productions: George Bailey on filming theatre shows
WALKING PLAYS: New app bringing London’s streets to life
Playwrights and Policy by Jane Woddis
300 Thoughts for Theatremakers: Writing for the Screen
Chewboy Productions: HARPOCRATES (or, how to run away quietly) – a short film available to watch now
Lewis Aaron Wood’s New Writers Newsletter
Opportunities Listings
New! New opportunities added this week are now highlighted in pink to save regular scrollers some time!
Digital & Audio & Screen Opportunities
We’ve listed digital opportunities divided into those with deadlines, rolling deadlines, , and online workshops. Scroll down for live performance opportunities and in person workshops.
Entries open for Channel 4 Screenwriting Course 2024! – Deadline: 2 October 2023
Rolling deadlines:
Creative Debuts – Working Class Creatives Grant – Deadline: rolling
The Scene Podcast (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
BBC Upload – Deadline: rolling
British Comedy Guide – Pro Video Contest – Various throughout the year
SOOP Annual Short Story Contest – Deadline: none posted
Box of Tricks’ PlayMakers Network- a creative home for Northern playwrights – Deadline: not applicable
New Hope Creative Group presents a new scratch night for black writers – Deadline: rolling
Frequency Theatre Open to Unsolicited Script Submissions (Audio Plays Only) (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
New writing project for Heckington Living Radio (unpaid) – Deadline: none posted
TYPE! Accepting submissions for bookmark magazine (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
Add Your Shows and Theatre Resources to Thespie (unpaid)- Deadline: rolling
Scenesaver – digital performance platform – Deadline: rolling
Online Courses and Workshops
Omnibus launch 1:1 Wednesday Chats with Artistic Director Marie McCarthy – Dates: various, Wednesdays
Kali Playwrights Forum – Date: 29 June 2023 and then every two months
Paines Plough – Open Writer’s Labs – Deadline: not specified
The Writers Hour- virtual writing sprints by London Writers’ Salon – Daily
1×1 intuitive writing sessions with Sarah Congress – Dates: various
Scratch Me 2022 – Public Programme – Dates: various
Playwright and former Space Theatre script reader Scott Younger is offering feedback on stage plays (small fee payable) – Deadline: not applicable
Big Fish Productions writing group – Dates: Every Friday
Relish Theatre – Coffee & Creative Catch up – Date: Every Friday
Part of the Main: Part of the Grid back with new online workshops – Dates: various
NT Playwriting Masterclasses – Dates: various
City Academy: Monthly Online Writing Club – Dates: monthly, various
London Playwrights – Playwriting Lab with Max Wilkinson – Starts 5th October for 10 weeks/ Thursdays 6pm – 7.30pm
NFTS – Freelancer Focus online sessions – Date: 9 October 2023
London Playwrights Monthly Members’ Zoom – October – Date: 14 October 2023
London Playwrights: Lunchtime Zoom Workshops – Writing in Regional Dialect – Date: 18 October 2023
Workshop – Talking Dialogue with Bea Roberts – Date: 21 October 2023
London Playwrights Zoom Workshops: Creating Compelling Characters – Date: 2 November 2023
London Playwrights: Lunchtime Zoom Workshops – Focus on the 5 Act Structure- Date: 8 November 2023
London Playwrights Zoom Workshops: Making An Impact In Your Opening Scene – Date: 14 November 2023
London Playwrights – Lunchtime Zoom Workshops – Pitching Your Play – Date: 22 November 2023
London Playwrights: Lunchtime Zoom Workshops – Creative Inspiration – Date: 30 November 2023
London Playwrights Zoom Workshops: The Redrafting Programme 2024: Date: 8 February 2023
New Earth academy plus- for BESEA artists – Various/ also in-person events
LPW Members Online Course: Mastering Dramatic Structure – Available now
LPW Summer Sessions: Overcoming writers’ block (online workshop) – Available now
LPW Summer Sessions: How to write a monologue (online workshop) – Available now
LPW Summer Sessions: Promoting yourself as a writer (online workshops) – Available now
LPW: The Redrafting Toolkit – Available now
LPW Members: Online Course – Writing in Dialect: How to Listen, What to Write – Available now
LPW Members: Online Course – The Submissions Checklist – Available now
Live playwriting Opportunities & Jobs
Listed in order of deadline, followed those with deadlines, and workshops & events.
With deadlines:
Titchfield Festival Theatre – New Playwright Competition – Deadline: 30 September 2023
FOOTNOTE X COUNTERPOINTS WRITING PRIZE- for writers from refugee and migrant backgrounds – Deadline: 1 October 2023
The Paul McVeigh Residency- The Harrison, Belfast. Open to emerging writers living on the island of Ireland – Deadline: 1 October 2023
Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust Awards (for those over the age of 30) – Deadline: 2 October 2023
The Cracked Slipper Company are producing 6 monologues exploring gender identity in Herefordshire – Deadline: 2 October 2023
Oxford Playhouse – Playhouse Playmaker Scheme 2024 – Deadline: 6 October 2023
Mikron Theatre Co: New writers for 2025 season – Deadline: 7 October 2023
Unlimited- UK and International Open Awards for disabled artists based in the UK – Deadline: 7 October 2023
ATG are accepting grant submissions for emerging producers and production companies – Deadline: 10 October 2023
Sheffield Theatres – Rolling Residencies – Deadline: 13 October 2023
Applications open for Criterion New Writing 2024 – Deadline: 15 October 2023
CroydonWrites is back! – Deadline: 16 October 2023
Sanctuary Queer Arts x A Play, A Pie and A Pint Writer Commission & Development Opportunity – Deadline: 22 October 2023
HighTide Writers Group (for playwrights in the East of England) – Deadline: 23 October 2023
Transient Arena – Script Submissions – Deadline: 31 October 2023
Bitter Pill: The Painkiller Prize – Deadline: 13 November 2023
Funding opportunity: Amplified – Screenwriting and Playwriting Competitions – Deadline: 20 November 2023
Birmingham Rep: Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize now accepting submissions –Deadline: 1 December 2023
Rolling & Unspecified deadlines:
Reflex Theatre Call for New Acts– Deadline: rolling
Old Red Lion Theatre available slots for hire on Sundays – Deadline: not applicable
London Playwrights: Members’ Submission Window 2023: New Rolling Process! – Deadline: rolling
INK: Free Script Writing Courses – Dates: various
London Fringe Theatres Open Slots + Submissions – Deadlines: various
Off The Page: bi-monthly script readings at The Bridge House Theatre, Penge – Deadline: rolling
Old Red Lion Theatre – Space availabe for August and September – Deadline: not specified
London Pub Theatres Magazine Seeking Review Writers – Deadline: rolling
Mental Rebellion seeking writers – Deadline: not specified
No Such Thing Theatre at the Kings Head offering free feedback for playwrights – Deadline: not specified
Birmingham Rep: Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize – Deadline: not yet specified, submissions open in September 2023
Scribe Playwriting Competition taking entries for 2024 competition (entry fee) – Deadline: rolling
Go Try Play Write – monthly playwriting contest – Deadline: monthly
Call for applications: Kevin Elyot Award 2023 – Deadline: not specified
Heads or Tales? Monthly Scratch Night (Scottish & Irish Writers) – Deadline: monthly events
Applications open for Camden Fringe 2023 – Deadline: not specified
Production Proposal Submissions – The King’s Head Theatre – Deadline: not specified
Finborough Theatre | Open Script Submissions – Deadline: rolling
Anthroplay Theatre Scratch night – Deadline: rolling/ monthly
Barons Court- Sunday Fix scratch night – Deadline: not specified
Royal Exchange Theatre ELDERS COMPANY opportunities –Deadline: not specified
Call: Love Sharing Festival – VII edition – Deadline: not specified
Traverse Theatre First Stages Festival – Deadline: not applicable
Unbound – reader-funded pitches – Deadline: none posted
Creative Hub seeking creative writing about climate change – Deadline not specified
Fifth Word – Submit your Play (paid if produced) – Deadline: not specified
The Hope Theatre seeking plays for new programme (profit share) – Deadline: not specified
Think Shorts – Free Short film listing (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
Fearless: Danse Macabre Productions Free Script Reading for Horror Scripts (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
BBC Comedy Association plans unveiled – Deadline: not applicable
Calling members of the Neurodivergent Theatre Community – Deadline: not applicable
The Swiss Church London offering subsided space for artists – Deadline: not applicable
London Pub Theatres seeking new reviewers (unpaid) – Deadline: none posted
The New Works Playhouse accepting submissions (unpaid) – Deadline: rolling
The Royal Court now accepting online submissions – Deadline: rolling
John Byrne Award monthly competition for creative work (prize £250) – Deadline: monthly
Brush Stroke Order now offering bursaries for script reading services – Deadline: rolling
Peggy Ramsay Foundation: Grant for writers – Deadline: rolling
Tutti Creative Space: cheap rehearsal space – Deadline: not applicable
Newsthump looking for spoof news writers (paid) – Deadline: ongoing
Arvon Grants available for writing courses – Deadline: none posted/ various
Live events and in person workshops:
Acting for Writers – Workshop with Nada Sabet – Date: 30 October 2023
Graeae x Mercury Theatre – Writers Teach Writing Course – Dates: various
Theatre503 Writers’ Programme 2023 – Dates: various
The Tron – Pay What You Want workshops – Dates: various
Developing a Character – Workshop with PlaywrightKaren Cecilia in Athens, Greece – Dates: see website
Messy Writers: Monthly London Meet-Ups – – Dates: monthly
Royal Exchange Collective Membership- for under 26’s – Deadline: not applicable
Blood Beats: LGBTQ+ Writers Group (Manchester) – Dates: 3rd Thursday of the month in 2023New Earth academy plus- for BESEA artists – Various/ also online
Manchester Screenwriting Meet Up – Dates: various (alternates between in person in and Zoom)
BBC & NFTS – BBC Scholarships – Dates: various