tips for dramatists WHAT TO ENTER

1. Tell a good story. Radio Drama thrives on strong narratives. 9. Enjoy writing your play. If you enjoy it, the chances are that other A 53 minute radio play with up to BBC WORLD SERVICE & BRITISH COUNCIL Whether you’re writing a tragedy, a comedy, a deeply personal people will too. 6 central characters and a synopsis. piece of autobiography or a play to change the world, a great storyline will keep your audience listening. 10. Remember that good drama is not simply about one idea but about , what happens when two ideas collide. Fifty three minutes gives you international how to enter . 2. However, don’t make the story too complicated, with too many a lot of time to develop your plot and your subplot. ) £ themes, characters and plotlines, or the listener will get confused. Complete the entry form and send it, together with your ~ play and synopsis, either radio playwriting ; ) 3. Get under the skin of your characters. Get to know them really ’’ And remember... : ) well. Each will have their own individual speech mannerisms. • By post to: , Don’t have them all speaking in your tone of voice. ’’ • Please read the rules and abide by them. If a play is either too short International Playwriting Competition 2012 competition 2012 LW ” or much too long it may be disqualified. i ` 4. Don’t - in the interests of furthering the plot - have characters BBC Radio Drama ~ ~ 2, –, & _ telling each other information they already know! Generally, • Please do not send your only copy. Manuscripts are not returned Room 6015 ? ’’ characters should speak to one another. . ` P ? under any circumstances. Broadcasting House entry form … . p i ’’( , 5. Radio Drama is not only about words. Use the four building blocks Portland Place o … • Please do not send us amendments or further drafts once your play ‘ ! “? ~ ; ; of radio drama - speech, sound effects, music and silence. If you London W1A 1AA ( , t has been submitted. o haven’t written your play specifically for radio, please re-work it for United Kingdom 5 – radio - and remove references to stage, film or video. M • Please do not send cassettes, CDs, videos or sheet music with ) • to your local British Council Office ? your play - it is not necessary at the entry level and they cannot 0 6. If in doubt, keep it simple - the play stands or falls by the words ~ be returned to you. : t or you have written, not the amount of music or sound effects. ) ! b • by email directly to: ”? ; ‘ 7. Vary the pace and length of your scenes, as well as their ( 0 £ For more information - including further tips radioplay@bbc.co.uk ” background acoustics and “location”. A radio play which has , w? on writing for radio - visit: five ten-minute scenes, each set in a dining-room, is likely to be You can download the entry form and questionnaire less effective than a play which varies its scenes and settings. www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay Keep the listener interested by thinking about how the play from our website which you can access by visiting: will sound. Using a variety of backgrounds, scene lengths and www.britishcouncil.org/arts www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay and selecting sound effects will usually serve to make a story more effective for International Playwriting Competition 2012 from the listener. It is preferable not to have parts for children – these www.commonwealthwriters.org the options listed there. are very difficult to cast. If you are unable to download the entry form 8. Presentation is important. Script readers (and play competition please use another format to provide us with judges) are better disposed towards neatly-typed, professionally presented manuscripts. Type all directions and sound effects in all the information requested. capital letters (e.g. HAMLET’S GARDEN. HAMLET IS DIGGING The competition is only open to writers outside the UK. FOR POTATOES. IT IS RAINING) and dialogue in lower case. Unfortunately, we will be unable to return any of your Leave a space each time a character speaks. play manuscripts. Dear Playwright, prizes RULES ENTRY FORM

• £2000 sterling for the overall winning playwright of Welcome to this year’s International 1. Entry is only open to anyone who is over the age of 18 as at 31 July 2012 who 9. The competition opens on 1 May 2012 and closes on 31 July 2012. Entries Writers to publish extracts of their scripts, along with their name(s), on the To be completed by all competitors and attached to your play when you send it to us. the best play written with English as a first language is not normally a resident of the UK. This may include anyone living/working must be received at your British Council office or at the BBC in London Commonwealth Writers website. in the UK on a temporary basis (up to 12 months) at the time of entering the by midnight GMT on 31 July 2012. Entries received after this time will not be Please supply the address where it is easiest for you to receive mail. Radio Playwriting Competition, and a trip to London to see the play being recorded and competition. Professional and previously published writers are eligible to considered. 18. The prize for the winning entry in each category will consist of £2000 PLEASE WRITE IN BLOCK CAPITALS run in conjunction with the British to attend a prize-giving evening. enter, but this is not a requirement of entry. sterling and a trip to London (airfare and accommodation for one person) to Name 10. Entries must be submitted either: see the winning play being recorded for broadcast on the BBC World Service Council and now in its 23rd year! • £2000 sterling for the overall winning playwright 2. Entrants must not be BBC or British Council or Commonwealth Foundation • by post to the following address: International Playwriting Competition and attend a prize-giving event. The prize is as stated and cannot be deferred Address employees and their close relatives or any person connected to the 2012, BBC Radio Drama, Room 6015 BBC Broadcasting House, Some things have changed. There are still two first of the best play written with English as a second or transferred. There will be no cash alternatives. competition. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested. Portland Place, London W1A 1AA, United Kingdom prizes, but the length of the plays is now 53 minutes. language and a trip to London to see the play being • to your local British Council office or 19. As with any new play, the BBC may require further drafts and revisions of They are for the best radio play by a writer with recorded and to attend a prize-giving evening. 3. Entrants should write a radio play of approximately fifty three minutes’ length • by email to the following email address: [email protected] the winning plays. Winners must be willing and able to undertake redrafting Country on any subject of their choice. Adaptations of novels are not eligible. English as their first language and for the best by a and revision work in conjunction with the BBC. This work is likely to take Tel • Recognition for the best play to be written from 11. All entries must be accompanied by a completed copy of the entry form place between November 2012 and January 2013 and the winning entrants 4. Plays entered must not have been professionally produced in any medium E-mail writer with English as their second language. The attached to this leaflet or which can be downloaded at: will need to keep time free, and remain contactable, to achieve this. This each of the following geographical areas: Asia; Africa; (an informal play-reading is acceptable; a play-reading with a professional overall winners will each receive £2000 sterling and www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay work will be completed with the winning entrant using email or the most Title of play Caribbean; The Americas; Europe; The Pacific; The director and in front of a non-paying audience is acceptable, but a a trip to London to see their play being recorded for suitable method available. We reserve the right to revoke a play’s prize performance involving payment to actors and/or a paying audience is not). 12. Entrants can enter individually or as part of a group. If entering as a group, all Middle East, in the form of a certificate. winning status if this work is not completed. Is English your first language? Yes No broadcast on BBC World Service. entrants must meet the entry requirements and be eligible for the same 5. Plays entered in the competition must not, at the time they are submitted, category. No member should have also entered individually. Please note, the 20. The BBC will reserve the right to make minor cuts, changes and edits to the Has your work been translated? Yes No We are very happy to run this year’s competition in have been offered for publication, performance or broadcast in any other prize only includes payment for one airfare per category. winners' final draft scripts. If so, please give the name and contact details of the translator below: partnership with Commonwealth Writers. form or medium to any other person or company. Nor can they, at the time of entry or during the course of the competition, have been entered 13. In the case of an entry by two or more writers, the BBC will need written or Name The playwriting competition celebrates creative writing 21. Subject to a satisfactory recording being made, the winning plays will be for any other competition. The winning playwrights will be deemed to have email confirmation from each writer involved that they are prepared to broadcast on BBC World Service in March 2013. Winners will first be Tel and the immense power of the medium of radio drama entered into an undertaking not to accept offers for their entries from other take a share of the prize money and are prepared to receive those funds required to enter into a contract with the BBC on the standard terms and E-mail – still one of the most powerful and accessible ways broadcasters or publishers before April 2013. from a nominee who will be one of the writers, as the prize money will be conditions applicable for broadcast of BBC Radio Drama. No fee will be to tell your story, use your imagination and have your paid to one individual only. The nominee will be selected by the writers and it payable other than the £2000 sterling offered as prize money for one Where did you hear about the competition? This competition is very 6. All scripts submitted must be a minimum of 45 pages of A4 paper (or will be his or her responsibility to distribute these funds to the other writers broadcast cycle and the BBC's standard package of rights under that contract. BBC World Service: in English in other language “voice” heard. equivalent) and a maximum of 65 pages (note, a rough guide is a minute and the organisers can take no responsibility for that aspect. If repeated on the World Service, a sum of £1000 will be payable for the first per page; please read and time your play before you send it). The play BBC publication British Council office Whether you’re experienced, new, or somewhere in important… it looks for repeat cycle and thereafter the BBC will have certain broadcasting and other should have a maximum of six central characters (there may be up to 3 small 14. Only one entry per person is permitted including any group entries. If you Commonwealth Foundation Poster between, we want to hear from you. Your work is our rights all in accordance with the contract. interesting ideas and plays “doubling” characters too, who don’t have more than a few lines each). Your submit more than one entry, only the first entry received will be considered Internet Press future. Thank you for entering. script must be accompanied by a short synopsis which outlines the complete Please do not submit plays you have entered before. “ 22. This competition accords with the BBC's Code of Conduct for Other Please Specify: and… it connects… story of the play. This must be no more than 400 words. Competitions, details of which can be found on the BBC's Standards and 15. All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the Guidelines website: www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/advice/ I have read the full rules of the competition and agree to abide by them 7. There are two categories for entry. One is for entrants who speak English rights of any other party. The BBC accepts no liability if entrants ignore these worlds and cultures. interactivity/code/ I enclose a copy of my play and a synopsis of no more than 400 words as a first language and the other is for entrants with English as a second rules and entrants agree to fully indemnify the BBC against any claims by any which outlines the complete story of the play. Marion Nancarrow Lasha Bugadze language. The BBC may require proof of eligibility for the selected category third party arising from any breach of these rules. Signed Executive Producer, BBC World Service Drama Winner - English as a First Language, 2011 before announcing a winner. 16. Entries must not contain defamatory, obscene or any other unsuitable ” 8. The play must be written substantially or entirely in English. Unfortunately, material, such as that which may cause offence to a wide audience of all ages. Data Protection we do not have the facility to offer a translation service. Entries that have Please tick this box if you agree to the BBC using your address and/or email to send been translated must acknowledge this fact by giving a credit to the translator 17. Entrants retain the copyright in their entries but grant to the BBC a non- Additional Terms and Conditions are available on the competition you information about future international writing competitions. The BBC will not disclose this information to third parties. For more information on the BBC’s Privacy exclusive licence to broadcast their entry across all media, as well as use or translators. Entries that have been translated will be entered in the English website www.bbcworldservice.com/radioplay or from your local Policy, please see www.bbc.co.uk/privacy Andrew Jones as a first language category. it on any online platforms. Entrants also grant a licence to Commonwealth British Council office. Acting Director, Drama and Dance, British Council If you are resident in a Commonwealth country, you may be interested in finding out more about Commonwealth Writers. If you consent for us to pass on your details to them, please tick this box. This is not a condition of entry.