The Kenneth Branagh International Award for New Drama Writing​

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Our new, fully bespoke website will launch in November with new features for writers, and more.

The next call for submissions will launch in December 2026, and the three finalists' plays will be performed during Windsor Fringe in the autumn of 2027. In the meantime, have a look at our updated Submission Guidelines and start writing! We look forward to reading your play.

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Submission guidelines 2026 - 2027

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Please note: this competition is for AI-free plays written by humans. When you submit your play, you will be asked to confirm that you did not use AI tools to generate content or write your script.

 

On our new website, each writer who submits a script for the Drama Award will have their own account with their own personal dashboard. From your dashboard you will be able to download and review our detailed Submission Guidelines, double-check your submission with our Writer’s Checklist, pay your fee and upload your script. You will receive immediate confirmation that your play has entered the script assessment process and has been allocated to a Reader in the first Reading Round.

 

Prepare your script

Before you submit your play, it’s important to be sure your script meets the following requirements:

• The first page should be a title page with the name of the play, a character list, a props list and a synopsis up to 50 words long.

• Your script layout should follow industry standards. The new website will include a sample page published by permission of Celeste Engel, our 2024 First Prize winner.

• The font should be 12 point and the line spacing should be 1.25.

• Pages must be numbered.

We can only read scripts saved in PDF, MS Word or RTF format. If you are not sure how to do this, find someone who can help you.

 

There is a non-refundable administration fee of £15.

 

Anonymise and name your file

Our Readers and Judges can only assess scripts that have been anonymised. Your name and anything else that might reveal your identity must be removed from your script, or your play will not be read.

The document file name should be the title of your play plus a unique PIN made up of four digits and your two initials:

Title [space] PIN

For example, if W Shakespeare submits The Play’s the Thing with the PIN 2793WS, the document filename would be:

The Plays the Thing 2793WS.pdf

• The script document filename should consist of only the script title and your PIN.

• Do not incorporate any part of your name in the script filename.

• Do not use obvious number sequences, such as 1234 or 5678.

 

Understand the IPR Agreement

If your script is one of the three finalists to be performed during Windsor Fringe, you will need to sign our Intellectual Property Rights and Production Agreement. Before you submit your script, please read the pro forma agreement -- see link below -- to be sure you understand it. By submitting your script, you indicate that you accept the terms of the IPR Agreement.

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