The Women’s Prize for Playwriting was founded to champion and produce work by female and non-binary playwrights, agitating to bring about and sustain a more equitable sector. The winner receive £12,000 and the guarantee of a production and publication

The Women’s Prize for Playwriting is open to writers who are:

• female or non-binary
• aged sixteen or older
• resident in the UK, Republic of Ireland or in a British Overseas Territory, or have a British Forces Post Office address.

Submitted scripts must:

• be written in English
• be written for stage
• be an original work (i.e. not an adaptation)
• last an hour or more in playing time
• not have been professionally produced (i.e. no more than five ticketed performances, and no professional reviews)
• not have received any other prizes or awards.

Submitted scripts may be:

• co-written
• any cast size
• any genre and style, except musicals (though plays which contain songs are eligible)

Writers must:

• own all copyright relating to the script
• submit only one script
• include their name(s) and contact details on the first page of the script.

As in previous years, you have the option to include a supporting statement, giving additional context about your play.

It’s not compulsory, but can help the reading team and judges make more informed decisions about your submission – particularly in later rounds.

Some areas to touch on might include:

• why you wrote the play, or your intentions for it
• where it is in its development, or anything you’d want to work on if you were to develop it further.

This doesn’t have to be an essay – bullet points are fine – and if you’d prefer to submit a voice recording or video instead, you can.

It should be a maximum of 500 words if written, or 3mins if recorded.

Deadline 

5pm on Monday 17th April.

How to enter – The Women’s Prize for Playwriting (womensprizeforplaywriting.co.uk)