Buxton scriptwriting competition
- Alan Hulme
- Jul 2
- 1 min read
Buxton Opera House has launched a scriptwriting competition for local writers.
The organisers want original plays that illuminate the local community, whether based in the present or the past, real or imagined, and should celebrate what makes the area unique.
Three writers will be shortlisted to take part in a professional script development workshop with an experienced scriptwriter. Then one script will be selected for further development and mentoring, in preparation for a full production in early 2026 at the opera house's accompanying Pavilion Arts Centre.
Opera House CEO Paul Kerryson said “Buxton Opera House is thrilled to be offering this brilliant opportunity to local, emerging writers."
Submissions - the deadline for which is July 31 - will be judged anonymously by a panel appointed by the theatre. There isn't a cash prize, for this is primarily an opportunity for an aspiring local playwright to show their skill and see their finished work on stage.
The panel is looking for new, unpublished, and unperformed plays with a clear connection to Buxton through story, setting, or character; a meaningful connection to the environment – whether by theme, geography or narrative, and content suitable for all ages.
The play should be around 90 minutes long, in two acts, with a maximum of 10 principal characters.
Writers should be 18 or over and available on September 13 for a script development workshop. The eventual winner will be staged in Buxton from January 28-February 1.
More info here, and note the detailed terms and conditions carefully.
