The Mercury Theatre is proud to announce its latest major initiative in support of new plays and new playwrights, The Mercury Playwriting Prize 2017. They are looking for plays of the highest standard suitable for production in the Mercury Theatre Studio.

The Mercury Playwriting Prize is open to writers based in the South East: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, East Sussex, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey and West Sussex. Full rules are available on the website  www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/make-it/talent-development/mercury-playwriting-prize-2017/

The winning writer will receive a £2000 prize, and a year-long attachment to the Mercury Theatre Colchester as an Associate Artist; plus a production in the Studio Theatre, subject to terms and conditions. Shortlisted scripts will receive a professionally directed reading at the Mercury Theatre. Long-listed scripts will receive written feedback from the Mercury Theatre Colchester’s panel of readers.

Key Dates:

Submissions accepted: Tue 3 January – Fri 31 March 2017 at 5pm

Winner and Runners Up announced: Fri 2 June 2017

New Work Festival, including play-readings of shortlisted scripts: w/c 3 July 2017

HOW TO ENTER

Please fill in this form by 5pm on Fri 31 March 2017 and send a Word/PDF version of it, along with your entry, to writing@mercurytheatre.co.uk. Alternatively, you may submit hard copies to:

Mercury Playwriting Prize Mercury Theatre Balkerne Gate Colchester CO1 1PT