Frequently Asked Questions By Writers

To mark our first full blog post, we have decided to take this opportunity to answer a few of the most frequent questions that we have received from writers.

What is your eligibility criteria?

We work with writers who have never had their work produced before.  Writers who have had their work performed by an amateur group, at a scratch event, one-act festival or as a rehearsed reading are eligible for our consideration, but those who have had a full-length play produced, either in the UK or beyond, are not.

What are you looking for in a play?

To begin with, we are looking for a well presented submission (first impressions go a long way!) that fulfills the criteria laid out in our submission guidelines, which can be found here: http://www.the42ndtheatrecompany.com/literary/submission-guidelines.

As for the play itself, we search for the potential in every script that we receive, but are particularly drawn to those pieces that feature an interesting premise, relatable characters, strong dialogue and memorable moments that will stay with an audience long after a performance has finished.

What should I include in the supporting materials that I send with my play?

We ask in our submission guidelines that, along with your play, you submit a concise synopsis, a brief character breakdown and a covering letter that tells us a little bit about yourself (including confirmation that you have never had any of your work produced before).

The synopsis only needs to summarise the outline of the story and should be no longer than a paragraph or two in length, whilst the covering letter is a good opportunity for you to provide us with some further background information about yourself and your play, such as what drew you to start writing the piece, how the script has progressed over time, what the key themes and aims are, etc.

What happens after I have submitted my play to you?

Once your submission has been received, we will confirm receipt by email within forty eight hours.  We read every play that we receive in full and provide feedback on every submission.  A decision on whether or not your play has been chosen for development will be given within one month.

Are there any common ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ to remember?

Yes. They are:

• DO read our submission guidelines before sending your play to us.
• DO check your script for spelling and grammar mistakes (poor spelling and bad grammar can make a play seem unprofessional).
• DO think about the layout of your script (a poorly laid out script can make your play hard to follow).
• DON’T be afraid to get in touch with us if you have any questions or issues that you would like to raise.
• DON’T be discouraged if we choose not to develop your play. We build lasting relationships with writers and will always be keen to receive your future work.