The merry month of May brings a duo of Southwest Scriptwriters meetings and we also have two June dates for your diary.

All our upcoming sessions are scheduled in the Coopers’ Loft at Bristol Old Vic in King Street, BS1 4ED. Sign in at reception near the bar and go straight to the meeting — please ask BOV staff if you need directions. Everyone attending a meeting pays £2.

Access to the Coopers’ Loft

Due to some technical problems with lift access to the Coopers’ Loft recently, we may change the meeting venue so that everybody can attend. Please check for changes of meeting place when signing in at reception. If you have difficulty with stairs, call Bristol Old Vic ahead of attending on 0117 949 3993 to be sure that the meeting is accessible.

Tuesday, 7 May at 8pm: Treehouse by Saito Hawkins

Tonight we’re reading and responding to Saito’s new full-length stage play.

Following our featuring of her play Checkpoint at our Scratch Nights event in March, Saito is currently rehearsing the script aboard Lightship Theatre for a production at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tuesday, 21 May at 8pm: Therapy One and Therapy Two by Felicity Peries

Felicity’s comedies set in a physiotherapy clinic get the Southwest Scriptwriters treatment tonight.

Tuesday, 4 June at 8pm: Open Workshop

Our debut June session includes Merlin Goldman’s Theatre Royal Bath Short Play Festival submission. A Game of Two Halves reflects the festival’s theme of ‘falling’ by centring on falling in love.

Tuesday, 25 June at 8pm: Open Workshop

Get in touch via our ‘Book a workshop slot’ form to score some time for your work to be read at an upcoming meeting.
 

Briony’s Detached in BOV development session

Following its placement in the top ten percent of script submissions in last year’s Bristol Old Vic Open Session, Southwest Scriptwriters chair Briony Pope’s play Detached received a development workshop at the theatre on Sunday, 28 April.

Briony worked with Jon Nash, a director from Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre, and a cast of six actors on progressing her play script. We look forward to news of further success for Detached following BOV’s input!

This year’s Open Session is due to accept submissions during June. We’ll bring you an update on the initiative in next month’s newsletter.
 

Swings & Roundabouts seeks short plays for PROTEST!?. at Southwark Playhouse

Swings & Roundabouts logo
Swings & Roundabouts is a new theatre company that aims to encourage ‘playwrights, directors and actors to connect, share and showcase their talents.’

It is now seeking 15-minute plays (not extracts) ‘about/on/against/in favour of: PROTEST!?.’ to include in its second new writing showcase in aid of End Youth Homelessness’ Safe Nights Fund at Southwark Playhouse on 7 July.

Submit your script by completing the forms on Swings & Roundabouts’ website and emailing them with your play to the address also shown on the site by 25 May.

Learn more
 

David Higham Associates holds September open day for under-represented scriptwriters

London-based literary agency David Higham Associates is holding an open day for under-represented film, TV and theatre scriptwriters at its Soho offices on Thursday, 19 September.

DHA will select eight writers to join a day of ‘talks and Q&As with agents and development professionals, a one-to-one session with one of our Film, TV & Theatre agents, and the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded writers.’

The agency welcomes:

‘…applications from any writer living in the UK from an under-represented background, including LGBTQ+ writers, writers from working-class backgrounds, writers from ethnic, cultural and religious minorities and writers with disabilities. Writers must be un-agented.’

Applicants need to submit an original film, TV or theatre (but not radio) script with a one-page pitch document and a writing CV via the agency’s website between this Wednesday, 8 May and Monday, 10 June.

Learn more