Transition Stage Company wants to give as much opportunity as possible to writers who submit to Enter Stage Write, both in the competition and beyond. We believe in providing creatives with a 'hand up', and putting you in front of and in touch with the right people to push your career in the right direction.

(NOTE: This is a UK ONLY competition for writers who are: residents in the UK, have studied within England, or have an agent or are currently represented in the UK.)

Every writer wants to see their story come to life – with Enter Stage Write you get just that chance!

Along with a £1000 prize for the overall winner, a select number of scripts will be produced and performed at the prestigious Birmingham Hippodrome or a film studio in front of a panel of industry pros who work for major British broadcasting companies (such as BBC and Channel 4) and in theatre, and who are actively looking for new scripts to produce. Plus, various other patrons of the arts from around the West Midlands will also be in attendance to see the performance of your script.

The screenwriting and playwright competition is currently open, and will close April 30th 2021, midnight.

The Enter Stage Write gala will be in summer 2021, although we are not sure if we can have a live event - but the performance (whether streamed or pre-recorded) will be released to the public in the same format as usual. We are closely following COVID guidelines as to when filming can begin either on stage or in a film studio in either London or Birmingham.

This is an exciting incentive for any writer – you will actually get to see the potential of your script come to fruition!

But that’s not all! You have the option to opt-in or opt-out of your script being placed in the Transition Stage Company script database. This is a worldwide database which LOADS of producers have access to, giving your script the chance to be picked up by a producer that wants to bring your project to life - regardless of how it does in the contest.

Furthermore, last year's top three finalists had their production turned into short films.

All you have to do is write an original and brilliant 10-minute script (have a read through with family and friends), and submit it for just £15.

You can also purchase a 25-minute consultation about your script with expert script consultant Anna Southgate for £35. These consultations are subject to availability and will take place throughout the year. You are also eligible to re-submit for free with your amendments and be on the Transition Stage Company database for a year with this consultation option.

Anyone can enter the competition as long as they are a British citizen or currently reside in the UK and they have studied or are studying in the UK.

For more details on the contest and Transition Stage Company, head to our website (https://transitionstagecompany.com/enter-stage-write/) or email us at info@transitionstagecompany.com.

Judges:
Darcia Martin, Director for BBC and Channel 4
Chris Sudworth, Director of Artistic Programme at Birmingham Hippodrome
Lisa Walters, Development Executive and Script Editor at Channel 4, Producer on BAFTA nominated "On The Edge"
Miguel Parga, Emmy Award winning Director
Piero Basso, cinematographer and Chair of the Cinematography Program at New York Film Academy

Awards & Prizes

There will be an Audience Award best script which is voted for by the audience on the night. The final decision is made at the discretion of the Compere. The Grand Award, however, presented for the best play, will be wholly chosen by guest Judges on the night and is to the value of £1,000.

Rules & Terms

Terms and Conditions of 'Enter Stage write Franchise' 2020 Global and UK

1. The ‘Enter Stage Write UK’ competition is open to anyone residing in the UK. ‘The Enter Stage Write Global’ is open to any contestant worldwide.
2. OPEN TO ANY AGE
3. The script must be written in British or American English grammar.
4. The competition opens six to three months before the competition event, with the deadline for entry being midnight a month before the event. Any entries received after this time will not be read. You will not be reimbursed your entry fee.
5. We are only able to accept entries submitted online. No paper entries will be considered within the judging process. Please do not submit any supporting materials including CDs, photographs, reviews or any audio-visual material.
6. Scripts must be submitted by the writer and not by an agent or any other third party.
7. The play must be an original piece of work.
8. The script has to be precisely 10 minutes in length.
9. Enter Stage Write Global scripts must be 15 minutes in length.
10. We do not accept translations, adaptations of other pieces of work or musicals. We also do not take plays written exclusively for younger audiences.
11. Amplified Voices through Comedy is for British black, Asian, and ethnic minority writers
12. The ‘Amplified Voices through Comedy’ franchise has the same terms and conditions as the ‘Enter Stage Write’ franchise
13. ‘Amplified Voices through Comedy’ scripts must be 10 minutes long
14. ‘Amplified Voices through Comedy’is a comedy and dramedy scriptwriting competition
15. The entrant must exclusively own and control all copyright and all other related rights to the submitted script. The submitted play must be available for production.
16. We do accept plays co-authored by more than one writer (max 2). Please ensure that only one entry is submitted with one set of contact details.
17. You can submit multiple scripts to the competition/multiple entries per person to the competition.
18. All scripts must be sent as PDFs to ensure consistency for our judges; other file types will be disqualified, or we will email you to send us a PDF version.
19. Please indicate if you would like your script and contact details to be included in the ENTER STAGE WRITE online database. The database can only be viewed by registered users and all rights are retained by the writer. It is the writer’s (or their agent’s) responsibility to negotiate any subsequent offers to produce the work. We recommend referring to the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain or a Writers union of your location for agreed industry terms.

Script Guidelines
The script must be precisely 10 minutes in length for Enter Stage Write UK and precisely 15 minutes for Enter Stage Write Global (please read-through with friends or other readers, so that you can determine accurately whether this is the case). Although duologues (two-handers) are preferable, the script must not require any more than three actors to perform. The script can be of any genre from drama to comedy - anything is fine. Above all, we want diverse and authentic stories that have a start, middle and end, and can take the audience on a journey.

Anyone can enter Enter Stage Write UK competition as long as they currently reside in the UK and they have studied or are studying in the UK.

Anyone can enter Enter Stage Write Global; it is open to citizens globally, including the UK.

Important: If you are under the age of 16, please state your age and have your parents’/guardians’ names and contact information placed on the script. Please do not put your name on the page at all, if under 16. If you are under 16, the admin fee to enter a script is £10.00. If unemployed or receive disability allowance you are eligible for the £10 entry rate. If you are a student, 16 or over, the admin fee is still £15 to enter a script.

Furthermore, you can purchase a 25-minute consultation about your 10/15-minute script with an industry professional master script advisor for £35. These consultations are subject to availability and will take place throughout the year. Furthermore you are eligible to re-submit for free with your amendments and be on the Transition Stage Company database for a year with the 25-minute consultation.

Transition Stage Company will manage your data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is stated on our website.

Judging/Prizes
1. There will be an Audience Award best script, which will include a prize and it is voted for by the audience. The final decision is made after the audience place their voting cards in a ballot or, if the event is held online, the vote will also be held online. The votes are counted for each script. The Grand Award, however, presented for the best play, will be wholly chosen by guest judges of the ‘Enter Stage Write’ event and the winner of the Grand Award can receive £1,000 or monetary award or grant for each individual franchised Enter Stage write event. The closing date of the competition is a month before The Enter Stage write event. The admin fees are in place in order for us to employ expert script practitioners.
2. By submitting your script, you agree that if your script is awarded a place in the finals of Enter Stage Write, your script will be held automatically under option by the Transition Stage Company for a period of eighteen months after the announcement of the awards. Any subsequent production will be recompensed in accordance with industry terms as agreed by the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. The Writers’ Guild website is here: https://writersguild.org.uk/
3. We regret that no correspondence can be entered into regarding any part of the judging process. For more clarification of submission please contact Mrs. Natalie Edwards (info@transitionstagecompany.com)

For eligibility, we define your residency through your ability to produce, if asked, proof of main address on a driving license, appropriate Inland Revenue document, or if not in possession of these, a phone bill with proof of address.