Hi!
I have a great new project for comedy sketch writers that will see your sketches performed live in central london by a great team of high profile comedy actors, directed by a top TV & Film comedy director and produced by TV comedy producers who not only have huge experience and influence, but are hoping to discover new writing talent! We really have designed the project The Works as a platform for writers, so I hope you feel this is an exciting project for you!
Please find the brief below.
All the best!
Isabel Fay
THE WORKS
New writers brief
The Works is a new live comedy show designed to give writers the opportunity to develop sketch material on stage. A gang show in the style of Saturday Night Live, The Works will be performed at a major central London venue, and will quickly grow into an unmissable night out!
Performed every other month, the night will feature two 45-minute halves of sketch comedy, with an established stand-up as compere, and a cast of experienced sketch performers. A producer, director and script editors will select material for each show, and develop it through rehearsal. Writers will be encouraged to attend rehearsals to workshop their material with the production team and the cast. Although the cast may also be known for their writing, in this case they are there solely to perform the material that has come from the writing team.
All sketches submitted to, and performed at, The Works will remain the property of the writers themselves – the main focus of the project is to give a platform to writers and help them hone their ideas through rehearsal, performance, and audience feedback. There are no restrictions in terms of the tone or content of the material – the only requirement is that it's funny, and contains no more than 3 men and 3 women. You don't necessarily have to submit finished sketches; if a sketch is in need of an ending, or you think an idea would benefit from workshopping with actors and a director, please send it in – all ideas are welcome. Writers are also free to submit sketches which are currently in development with TV or radio projects.
We will have a core team of established writers, from whom a portion of the material will come, and a portion of each show will be open to newer writers, the successful of whom will hopefully grow into members of the permanent team as the project continues.
The team behind The Works has extensive experience producing sketch comedy for television, the internet, and live on stage. Recent credits include The Armstrong and Miller Show, Horrible Histories and The Peter Serafinowicz Show.
Interested? Here's how you get involved …
- Email no more than 3 of your best sketches to theworksscripts@googlemail.com - the submission deadline is 13th April.
- NB Please bear in mind that with the high volume of sketches expected we may not be able to contact everyone in response to their submissions.
- The production team will consider all the ideas submitted and draw up a long list. Those whose sketches have been selected will be contacted and may get notes and suggestions for possible rewrites.
- Everyone, including writers who's sketches have been selected, will then meet for a table read, giving the writers a chance to hear their work, and make any changes they feel necessary. This way the writers and actors will develop a working relationship and the material generated for subsequent shows can become more specific to the talents of the actors and writers alike.
- Sketches are chosen for performance, with any that need further development held over for future shows.
- The director will rehearse with the actors, with writers invited to attend for their sketches.
- We put on a polished and hilarious team-written sketch show for the paying public …
The first show will be taking place at Madame JoJo's, Soho, on the 8th of May. Subsequent shows will be in July, September, October and a "Best Of" week long run in December.
We really hope this sounds like an exciting opportunity to develop your work and help stage a really great and original new comedy night. We look forward to hearing from you!
DAVID ARMAND & ISABEL FAY – SCRIPT EDITORS & PERFORMERS
CAROLINE NORRIS - SCRIPT PRODUCER
TOM HOPGOOD – LIVE PRODUCER
JAMES SERAFINOWICZ – NEW WRITING PRODUCER
