Sky And the Birmingham Rep are looking for New Comedy Writers. Following the success of Sky Comedy Rep 2021, The Rep and Sky Studios are incredibly excited to launch the second year of this writing development scheme.

Eight writers will be selected to each develop a one-act stage play, and will be paid for their work. The writers will attend a series of workshops, receive tailored writing support, and trial their work at a scratch performance.

All the plays will focus around a simple premise: ‘a proposal in a park’.

The eight writers who are selected for Sky Comedy Rep 2022 will each be paid a set fee of £3,000 plus travel and accommodation costs for their participation and script commission.  Access provision costs will also be available for selected candidates to ensure participation.

Script parameters
The parameters for your wider script idea will be:

• It must feature a proposal of some kind.
• It must be set in a park.
• The script (when fully written) must be around 15 minutes in length.
• The cast must feature between 1 – 4 characters.
• The script must be comedic and designed to be staged for a live audience.
• To apply for the scheme, applicants must submit their idea for a park proposal play along with a sample script extract exploring their idea.

The sample will feature dialogue from the play and should capture a scene or moment from the script that can be understood clearly by the reader. It should feature some (but not necessarily all) of the characters from your play and be one of the funniest moments from your proposed play.

Eligibility

To enter Sky Comedy Rep 2022 you must not have had a piece of your own original writing aired by any broadcaster in the UK either digitally or terrestrially (excluding radio or podcasts). This relates to sole writing credits for more than 3 minutes of continuous content, and does not include additional material credits or uncredited work in writing teams. You may enter if you have had writing commissioned (by a production company or broadcaster) as long as it has not been aired at the time of the application deadline.

You may enter if you have had a play professionally produced for live audiences (3 or more consecutive performances) in theatres with a capacity of under 150 seats, but no larger.

Writing partnerships of up to two writers are encouraged to apply, but please be aware that any writing entities selected for the scheme will share both a mentor and the fee for participation. Writers will only be allowed to submit one idea. No writers will be allowed to enter as both a writing team and individually.

You must be resident and eligible to work in the UK to apply, and you must be 18 or over. There is no upper age limit. You do not need representation to apply, but you are still eligible if you do have an agent.

Deadline

Midday on Fri 12 Aug 2022

All applicants contacted about selections: By 7 Oct 2022

https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/further-information-for-applicants/