The Kenneth Branagh International Award for New Drama Writing
READER
The Kenneth Branagh International Award For New Drama Writing 2024
THIS IS NOW CLOSED FOR 2024
Amateur Playwrights worldwide are invited to submit a one-act play. Three winning scripts will be selected for fully staged performances during the Windsor Fringe Festival in October 2024. One of the three scripts will be chosen as the overall winner and awarded the £500 prize. The plays will be judged purely on the writing before they are staged.
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Only amateur playwrights are eligible and only one script per author will be accepted.
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Each script must be an original work and not previously published or performed.
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Each play to be up to 30 minutes in length.
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Each play to have a cast of no more than 6 actors.
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Each play must be suitable for staging in a studio theatre.
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One digital copy to be uploaded to the KBDA website as part of the submission process.
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Entry Fee is £15.
Submission Period 15th January 2024 to 15th March 2024
I am delighted to sponsor this writing award and to be a small part in an initiative that supports new writers. Without a good play or script, the best actors and directors in the world cannot hope to produce good work, and I welcome the encouragement that this award offers to writers both local and international.
KENNETH BRANAGH
We are now in our 20th year of The Kenneth Branagh International Award for New Drama Writing
Our Award annually attracts hundreds of scripts for 30-minute one act plays; over 19 years we have received 3,854 scripts from 49 countries: Slovakia, New Mexico, France, Belarus, England, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Nigeria, Belgium, India, New Zealand, Cyprus, Canada, Eire, USA, Finland, Germany, Wales, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Ukraine, S. Africa, Portugal, N. Ireland, Israel, the Caribbean, Albania, Mexico, Korea, The Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Crete, Taiwan, Colombia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Indonesia, and from the islands of Anglesey, Jersey, Lewis, Man and Arran.
Many of our winners have gone on to success in the theatre, films and TV.
This award was the creation of Ann Trewartha. In 2003, after working on three Community Plays based on Windsor’s history, she wanted to help promote new writing talent so organised a Windsor Fringe event of three, 30-minute, one-act plays, finding directors and asking local writing groups to submit plays. This was such a success that David Birrell (a committee member and manager of Richmond Theatre) suggested that the Fringe offer a prize to raise its profile. Other committee members supported the birth of the Award, originally sponsored by the Marriott Hotel for seven years and since 2010 has been generously sponsored and supported by Kenneth Branagh.
Throughout its 20 years, the award was coordinated by Ann Trewartha who had a passion for supporting new drama writing. Aided by the Drama Committee, Ann ran the Award until she passed away in April ‘22 after a short illness.
