Our Submissions window is now closed. Submissions will reopen in Autumn/Winter 2024.
Please note: we can only accept unsolicited submissions during our open submissions window. As a small team we cannot accept unsolicited scripts at any other time of the year.
Bush Open Submissions in brief:
- We want to read full length, unproduced plays from writers based in the UK and Ireland that don’t have an agent
- We consider all the plays that are submitted.
- 100+ writers will get feedback, and we’ll find at least 2 members of our next Emerging Writers’ Group from submissions.
- To submit fill in a quick form to tell us about you.
The Bush Theatre is committed to championing a diverse range of voices that tell entertaining and provocative stories that reflect contemporary society. If you’re a playwright who is not currently represented by an agent, and you have a play to share with us, we would love to receive it during our submissions window!
We go in to more detail on all of the steps below so read on to find out more…
What we want to read
We’re not set on a specific genre, theme or style. We want to hear your voice – what makes you angry, sad, laugh, hope. We want to read stories about now, about the world in which we live. We want to read the story you’re excited about, a story that needs to be told.
Your play must fit our essential criteria, so do check these below before you submit it to us.
Criteria:
- Plays must be full length (60 minutes or more)
- Plays should not have already been produced (an R&D or reading is fine)
- Writers must be based in the UK or Ireland, and not have an agent.
- Writers may only submit one play. Plays may only be submitted once; please do not resubmit a play we have previously read.
- It must be an original play. Screenplays, novels, adaptations and works in translation will not be accepted.
How to submit your play
We’ll ask you to fill in a quick form to tell us a little bit about you and send us your play.
Top tips:
- Your play must be sent as a Word doc or PDF, with the title of the play and writer’s full name as the file name.
- We recommend including the title, your full name and a brief one-sentence summary (sometimes called a logline) on the first page. You don’t need to include a synopsis.
- We find it really helpful if you can include a character list at the start of your script.
- Send us the play that is the best fit for the Bush, the home of urgent, contemporary, surprising new plays from British and Irish writers. We’ll ask you to tell us a little bit about why your play is right for the Bush – you can find out more about what the Bush is all about here and explore our past productions here.
What happens after you submit?
Once you’ve submitted your play, you will see a message thanking you for your submission. This means we have received your play and it will be considered by our team. You will not receive a confirmation by email.
All scripts that are received are considered by Bush Theatre readers, which is a team made up of professional playwrights, directors and other artists. The senior artistic team, including the Associate Dramaturg and Associate Artistic Director, oversee the submissions process.
We will always inform you of the final outcome. The large volume of submissions we receive means this process can take up to 8 months and we are unable to enter into conversation about plays that we do not wish to take further.
We commit to:
- Meeting with at least 30 writers from open submissions to discuss their work.
- Sending feedback by email to at least 100 writers.
- Finding at least 2 new members of our Emerging Writers’ Group through submissions.
Still got questions? You can email our Literary team on [email protected].