Radius Play Competition 2027

1. The prize, to be awarded at the discretion of the judges, is £750. We intend to stage a rehearsed reading. We reserve the right to publish plays as e-scripts, accessed to the Radius Collection for purchase and performance.

2. There will be an entry fee of £10.00

3. The competition is open to all, both members and non-members of Radius, but is restricted to UK residents.

4. The entry form for the competition will be available on the Radius website from 26th October 2026 and the opening date for submissions is 23rd November 2026. Please note that scripts submitted before the opening date cannot be considered. Entries must be received by 5pm 22nd January 2027.

5. The short list will be announced on the Radius website and social media by 5pm on 12th March 2027 and the winning script by 5pm on 19th March, 2027.

6. The competitor’s name and contact details must not appear anywhere on the script.

7. A summary of the plot, of no more than 150 words, should be placed at the beginning of the script. This year’s theme is “True Story” which can be interpreted in any way.

8. Entrants should bear in mind Radius’s aims and objectives: we are looking for drama which throws light on the human condition, especially its inner, reflective or spiritual aspects. There is no requirement that plays should deal with or mention religion; we are interested in plays that deal with themes that often feature within religious discourse, such as hope, redemption, belief, love. It should be noted that plays may be performed in churches.

9. Entries must be original work and writers are required to confirm their authorship on the entry form. Scripts should not have been performed within a professional theatre context, either as a full performance or a reading, nor published in any other way than personally by the author e.g. shared by email or included on a blog or writers’ forum.

10. Work that has been produced, enhanced or edited by any AI creation tool is ineligible. Any work that is found to have been written with the aid of AI tools will be disqualified.

11. Scripts entered for a previous Radius Playwriting Competition are not eligible.

12. Competitors may submit one script only. It must be at least 45 minutes and not longer than 75 minutes in performance and written for no more than six cast members.

13. Writers are reminded that plays are intended for live performance. Scripts should be laid out according to the conventions of theatre writing: text should be double-spaced with lines of dialogue fully indented and the characters’ names along the left-hand margin; stage directions should be in italics. Radius reserves the right not to consider scripts intended for or formatted according to the requirements of film or television.

14. It is understood that the copyright of plays submitted remains with the author but that Radius is granted first option on the right to publish them as an e-script. Radius reserves the right to promote the script as it considers suitable.

15. Radius reserves the right to withhold awarding a prize in the event of entries failing to reach a sufficiently high standard.