The Verity Bargate award, based at the SOHO Theatre, has always sought extraordinary voices and unique styles which stand out from the crowd and tell inspiring unheard stories. In search for the best first time and emerging UK playwright, the Award is open to writers with fewer than three professional productions. The award is £7000 in respect of an exclusive option for Soho Theatre to produce the winning play.

This year in a first for the competition, in conjunction with the Verity Bargate Award, Award sponsor Character 7 will be offering one writer the opportunity to develop their storytelling skills for TV drama. The writer will be drawn from the Verity Bargate longlist but chosen separately to the main award. Working closely with Character 7 founder and executive chairman Stephen Garrett and head of development Michele Wolkoff the selected writer will be awarded a grant and tasked to develop a small number of ideas with a view to optioning one of them to take to script.

Submissions open on 31 May 2017 and close on 5 July 2015 (12pm). Scripts submitted outside of this period will not be considered. The award is open to anyone resident in the UK or Ireland.

Writers may submit one unproduced, unpublished full-length play (not shorter than 70 minutes). There is no restriction to subject matter. Musicals and other forms of theatre are welcome but will only be judged on the text submitted. The winner of the award will be expected to attend an announcement event later in the year.

The following are not eligible: playwrights with three or more professional productions to their credit (defined as those produced under ITC/TMA/WGGB contracts), plays commissioned by Soho Theatre, previous Verity Bargate Award winners and plays that have already been considered by Soho Theatre’s literary department. Submitted plays must be unencumbered and available.

For more info on how to apply please go to: http://www.sohotheatre.com/writers/verity-bargate-award/guidelines/