British Comedy Guide

The Loft playwriting contest - deadline 30 July

Cheers Griff - appreciate that

Thanks for the link.

I have a play of 1hr 15 mins, but it's TWO act as it's two diffeent settings. They're looking for one act plays.

Mind you, I do have a 90 minute screenplay which is entirely set in one room with only two characters (plus one minor walk-on part at the end) so I may try converting that to stage format and submitting it.

Mikey - I gotta ask, do you have a job?

Or a machine that slows time or something?

Everything that comes up, you have something lying about suitable for submission.

You are a writing machine my friend.

Having had a look at the rules, Mikey, I reckon you could easily get away with it. It allows scene changes (though does specify as simple as possible). Simplify the sets, you can submit.

Thanks Griff and Anthrax for pointing that out.

The play in question is actually split into two acts on paper, but really it's just two scenes.
Scene 1 is at a bus stop.
Scene 2 is at a train station.
I split it into two acts as the interval would be in the middle and scene two is meant to be later that day.

Mikey - I gotta ask, do you have a job?

Or a machine that slows time or something?

Everything that comes up, you have something lying about suitable for submission.

You are a writing machine my friend.

Hi bigfella,
I'm lucky enough to be self employed, working from home.
I have an internet biz consisting of several websites. (which I shamelessly plugged in my siggy for a while lol)

As the majority of these websites are fuly automated, I have lots of time to spend writing.

I'm very prolific. I'm always writing something. Every day, in fact. I'm hopelessly addicted. Sometimes I shut myself away all day and night in my study. (spare bedroom)

Although I do make sure I devote time to Mrs Mikey. :)

I started script writing on a serious level last July and have developed a large portfolio of different genres, hence the reason why I usually have something to submit. :)

If I don't, I lock myself away and write something.

Anyway, enough about me. Back to the thread. :)

See this puzzles me a bit - my play's written in two acts, sure, but if I cleverly go in and delete the 'end of act one' and 'act two' headers, we're all happy?

Who knows. There's absolutely no reason that it's split into two acts, other than the idea that the audience may well just need a rest halfway through.

anyone 'eard 'owt from t' Loft

take that as a 'no' then shall I?

or was my northern brogue impenetrable?

Quote: Griff @ July 4 2009, 1:37 PM BST

I have to agree, their guideline of 90 minutes seems a very long maximum length for a "one-act" play.

In technical parlance 90 minues for a one act play is bollocks.

I've 'eard nowt, soft lad. And yup - a 90 minute act would bore the pants off me.

I've heard nowt (other than an initial acknowledgement from Gus MacDonald).

Update
======

The Loft site has this update - 21 September 2009

We received an overwhelming number of entries to our one-act play writing competition, which closed in July.

The Loft Theatre Company's Artistic Management team are making good progress with the marathon task of reading through all the scripts submitted, and a shortlist for submission to the judge, BAFTA award-winning writer Andrew Davies, is expected to be finalised within the next month.

Thank you to everyone who entered – the result will be announced as soon as possible but, in the meantime, please be patient!

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