Any playwrights here?

[ninesevenfivethree]

I've written a few unperformed plays over the years, just for fun, because I enjoy going to the theatre. Over the last couple of years I've been taking it more seriously and have read a lot about playwriting and how to improve my work, and I've read 40-50 plays while theatres have been closed. I would really like to get one of my plays performed, although I'm aware that I've missed the boat (nearly 60) to think about doing it professionally, so it's more of a bucket list thing.

All I've done so far is submitted two radio plays to the BBC Writersroom. One got nowhere, I've not yet heard about the other, but I'm not optimistic. I am working on a couple of stage plays and have been researching different ways of submitting plays to theatres - submission windows, competitions, etc, and I've also thought about researching amateur companies that might be interested in new writing.

So I'm posting here just to ask if anyone has had experience of getting a play performed, especially if you had no previous experience or contacts in the industry, and if you wouldn't mind sharing anything about how you got there?

How big a cast does it have? Could you cut through the industry connections if you have the resources to pay for an audible recording or does it have too many hands for this to be practicable?

I'd never thought about doing that Zilla, but will try to find out more. I have been trying to write for small casts, because I think people are more likely to take a chance on a play that's cheaper to produce.

In my 20s I just put them on myself. I got a cast of actors who didn't need paying (they used it as a showcase and resume content), directed them, hired a space and sold tickets to cover costs. There are a lot of pub theatre spaces and luckily I was living in London at the time. I didn't make much profit but I wasn't in it for that. By the way, you're not too old to do anything. A lot of writers start at retirement age and have a great deal of success. Novelist Mary Wesley wrote her first book in her 70s and ended up writing about 10 more!

Also, there are a lot of competitions, so get the Writer's and Artists' yearbook and enter everything you can.

I've done them for a local youth theatre. One a joint writing venture, one short script for a festival and one adaption (with permission) from a book.
But I'm heavily involved with the youth theatre and can make that choice.

The advantage of a group you know is that you fit the parts to the group. My group is children so you increase the children's parts, and decrease the adults. I also make it a musical so that even the tinies can come on in the front row of the chorus and get that experience.

What you could do is write one and approach a local drama group. Or try and put it on yourself. Just be aware that putting on a show isn't cheap. You don't just have cost of costumes, backdrops, printing scripts etc but also hall hire to put it on, probably hall hire for rehearsals. Lights, sounds equipment etc all add up very quickly.
The youth theatre is lucky in that it's attached to a youth group that own the place and there's a nice little stage, so no hire cost, and there's a lovely friendly electrician who has all the sound and light equipment you'd ever want which brings the cost down no end.
You've also potentially got to check for performance licencing, if you use any children you're needing to licence them or at least get a body of persons licence etc.

Thanks MissBattleaxe. I'm not sure I've got the skills or confidence to organise all that myself, but I will definitely look in the W&A Yearbook for competitions, and thanks for the encouragement about my age!

MargaretThursday thanks, that's interesting. I know a few people who are involved with local amateur drama groups in normal times, and there's a theatre with a children's/youth theatre near me, so I will ask around to see if I could write something for a youth group.

You need to contact your nearest theatres and find out about their new works opportunities, training programmes and scratch nights. There are loads of playwriting competitions and you should enter as many as you can. The details are quite easy to find online.

Playwriting competitions are good. When lockdown is over keep an eye out for scratch nights at any theatres near you and ask to contribute.

And definitely look at the big new writing theatres which take script submissions. Your script will need input from a dramaturg and a director to develop it ready for the stage, but theatres spend a lot of time working with promising new writers (of any age!)

Have a look at the Royal Court in London and the Traverse in Edinburgh, both take scripts on open submission for development.

Your age doesn't matter at all and in fact it may even be a bonus and give you a refreshing perspective. As long as you're telling a story in a bold and interesting way with lots of drama, that's all that matters.

I would really like to get one of my plays performed, although I'm aware that I've missed the boat (nearly 60) to think about doing it professionally, so it's more of a bucket list thing.

You know this is utter nonsense?

Tbh the most satisfactory long term route might be a postgrad degree in writing for performance. Either straight Playwriting or whatever variant appeals to you.

Of course you may be lucky and triumph in a competition. But studying amongst and being taught by professionals will plug you in to contacts and structures and all sorts of things that might provide a better pathway to sustained success.

Just stop telling other people they're too old to do what they want!

Thank you all, this is really helpful. And thanks for the encouragement regarding my age. To be fair there are a few age-restricted competitions and opportunities, and it's hard to find examples of 'older' first time playwrights who are not in their 30s. But it's good to know it's nonsense!

I've thought about doing a postgrad degree and have looked at the Royal Holloway one. I have a rough plan now to carry on writing, enter lots of competitions and send scripts to theatres and then possibly start an MA in 2022. I've now made a list of competitions and theatres which take submissions, and I'm working out a schedule for finishing the plays I'm writing at the moment. I've also got an idea for a play that might work for a youth theatre group.

I've got a bit of time on my hands for the first time in decades, as I'm working part time with older teen dcs. Writing has always been on the back burner and I really want to give it a proper try over the next 3-4 years.

Sounds like excellent progress.

Sounds an excellent plan!

Yes, I completely acknowledge the issue of age restricted competitions. It can make anyone over 30 feel depressed and unwelcome. I would argue that this is why the postgrad degree is likely to be beneficial. Not because one necessarily wants the 'qualification' (though it's nice to have) but because it should ideally provide you with a bedrock of knowledge and familiarity with the doors that might open despite outrageous decrepitude. People want to work with brilliant people, essentially.

The whole thing with development opportunities for the hot young, especially women, is deeply politically suspect and patently artistically and societally wrong. (I once had a long discussion with an eleven year old about the Fields Medal for Mathematics, awarded to people under 40 ... If even a child can understand the structural disadvantage posed to women ...)

You may have already chosen the best course for you - I'm no expert on the merits of every playwriting course in the country - but do compare and contrast as much as you can. I don't know which places offer a conservatoire type experience, where the greater part of your study will be in practice rather than being purely theoretical. (So in fact this paragraph is mostly useless - just musing aloud.) The important thing is that you graduate having had your work put on in front of the paying public - without having had to win a competition. You should leave with a CV stuffed with performances, masterclasses, probably work placements - and some idea of how to sustain a creative career. (I cannot claim that my own MA necessarily provided all these things.) You will also have spent the year or two years in direct competition with your fellow students - but also collaborating with them. And, if you're sensible you'll nurture relationships with your tutors - all of whom will be professional theatre practitioners. (Despite the failings of my own course, in a vaguely related discipline) I can't think of a more exciting way to spend one's time ...

Thanks @MayIDestroyYou. I have to be honest, it hadn't even occurred to me that an MA might include having my work performed, or doing placements. I'd just imagined it as a lovely year of studying plays, doing lots of writing, and having my work critiqued by experts. I need to do some more research.

That's why it's important you choose the right course. You don't want to graduate with a head stuffed full of knowledge about other playwrights - while you're still completely invisible to the theatrical world. (Equally, you need to know something of the context out of which you are about to burst forth into the world. It's so embarrassing to discover that your amazing new dramaturgical idea was intensively discussed, examined and dismissed fifty years ago ...)

Investigate all the potential postgrad options (assuming that's what you're interested in) and interrogate yourself as to what you want to get out of your time there.

Thanks for your help - it's so useful to read all this. I'll be doing a lot of research on postgrad courses.

@ninesevenfivethree
I realise this thread was a few days ago, but a friend of mine had her short play performed by this amateur company:
www.lightsdownproductions.co.uk/

I saw it online at the weekend.
She also told me about this initiative:

www.bitterpilltheatre.com/painkillerproj

When I have more time, I’m planning to look at some of my existing projects to create suitable scripts.

Thank you @SueGeneris. I'd heard of Bitter Pill (and am trying to write something to submit to them at the moment), but hadn't come across Lights Down.

Just wanted to give a little update. I mentioned that I sent a play to the BBC Writersroom submission window. I didn't get through, but I got to the second round and was in the top 10% of over 5100 scripts, so I'm feeling really encouraged by that.

Brilliant! That's fantastic.

Thank you :)