We are excited to be official education partners with The North East Playwriting Award 25/26! Applications are now open for Live Theatre’s North East Playwriting Award, open to all writers over the age of 16 who are from, living or working in the North East of England. Playwrights of all levels, new to established, are invited to submit their plays between Fri 1 Aug 2025 until 5pm on Fri 31 Oct 2025.

BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen alumni Connor Dorian won in 2024 with his work ‘A Moving Still’, a North East coming of age story. The play was originally written, directed and performed by Connor himself as part of his MA FMP project. After being re-drafted it has won Under 26 Playwriting Award. Speaking of the award and its impact he said “winning the Under 26 North East playwright award was a giant step in my career, opening many new doors while also giving me confidence to pursue my creative passion. Working with Live has been surreal, they are helping to develop not only my play but my skills as a writer.”

“They really care about you as an artist and how they can nurture your talent to produce the best kind of work. I would tell anyone who has written a play they’re passionate about to apply! And if you think it’s not good enough or just not there yet…I also nearly didn’t apply because I thought the same. There’s nothing to lose!”

Application Details:  

The North East Playwriting Award accept full-length original plays, not sketches, screenplays or adaptations. If a full play has not yet been written, treatments will be considered provided they offer a clear sense of:

a) full story outline with characters
b) a description of the play’s world and style and
c) sample scene from the proposed play

The winning play will receive a full commission with a view to a production on Live Theatre’s stage.

In addition there is a special Young Person’s Award (aged 16 – 25 years) selected from the main submissions offering a package of R&D support. Find out more and apply here.

If you are interested in developing a career in theatre we offer pathways for both undergraduates and graduates to take their next steps, make sure you check out our BA (Hons) Acting for Stage & Screen and MA Directing & Theatre Making degree programmes today.