Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ Contents
For Young Writers
- Who is the Young Playwrights Award for?
Anyone aged 13-18 years old who lives or attends education in Greater London can send us their play via the Royal Court website from 24 March – 2 May 2025.
- Why is it only for 13-18 year-olds?
This award is designed to be supported through school and youth groups, both as a competition and as part of young people’s creative education. If you are over 18, you can submit to our open submissions process all year round, and join our Writers’ Card, which provides opportunities all year round to writers of all ages. If you’re not 13 yet, start practicing! We hope to run this award again in the future.
- Why do I have to be London-based to apply?
This is a pilot, so we are starting in London to test out our approaches and gain feedback. We hope to be able to offer the award beyond London in future years.
- How long should my play be?
We will read plays between 1,000 – 5,000 words (about 5 to 30 minutes long on stage). If your play is longer, you can still submit it, but we might not read the whole play, as our readers have limited time.
- How much does it cost?
The competition is free to take part and enter. We will also provide free tickets for the shortlisted and winning writers to attend with guests.
- I live in Kent but go to school in Greater London – am I eligible?
Yes. As long as you either go to school, or live, in Greater London, you are eligible.
- Where will the winning plays be performed?
The winning plays will be performed in a staged reading by professional actors at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs in July 2025. A ‘staged reading’ means that the actors will have rehearsed and will be moving about the stage while be holding scripts in their hands.
- How can I watch the winning plays?
The Jerwood Theatre Upstairs is a small theatre with space for 80 people. Winners and shortlisted writers will be offered free tickets for themselves and guests. Additional tickets will be available to buy publicly.
- What should my play be about?
Whatever you like! It can be funny, or sad, or inspirational, or rude, or angry, or romantic or anything, so long as it’s a play. We want your play to be a story you’d like to tell, or something you’d like to say. So it needs to be an original story. We won’t consider adaptations of existing works by someone else, like a retelling of a novel or film.
We will not consider screenplays for film or television, so try to make sure your play is something you are imagining on stage, not on TV. That does not mean you can’t set your play in space or somewhere fantastical, but it needs to be possible to stage.
- Can I have swearing or bad language in my play? Are there any topics off-limits?
You can swear as much as you like. And it can be about whatever you want!
- I am about to turn 19, can I still enter?
You need to be aged between 13-18 years on the last day of the submissions window, 2 May 2025. If you are too old for this competition, remember that you can send us a full-length play, via our adult open submissions process, all year round.
- Do I need parental / guardian consent to enter my play?
If you have already turned 18, no. But if you are aged 17 years or under on the day you submit your play, you will need to provide contact information from a parent, guardian, or teacher to enter. We will ask for their name, email address and a phone number.
- Who’s going to read my play?
Your play will be read by one of our team of readers. A small number of these plays will be selected for a shortlist. The shortlisted plays will then be read again by a new team of readers including the Royal Court Associate Playwrights, and of these, up to 10 winning plays will be selected to be performed at the festival.
- Can two people (or more) write a play together?
We will accept plays written alone, in pairs or as a trio, but not by more than 3 people.
- Is there a specific way to format my play script, or a particular file type it should be written in?
Our only request is that the play is typed up on either a word document or PDF and in a legible font, and there should be at least one named character.
- What if I’m a young person with SEND and find it difficult to write my ideas down?
We actively encourage and welcome plays from all young people, regardless of their backgrounds and needs. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a specific young person’s needs and how we can make reasonable adjustments. Young people who experience challenges with writing are welcome to use a Scribe if all ideas and dialogue are authentically from the young person. Please indicate on the script if a Scribe has been used.
- What if English isn’t my first language? Can I have some help to translate and write my play?
Young people who have English as an additional language are welcome to use a Scribe if all ideas and dialogue are authentically theirs. Please indicate on the script if a Scribe has been used. We welcome individual words or phrases of the script written in the young person’s home language – please include a glossary/translation to help our reading panel!
- I am older than 18, why is there an age limit on this opportunity?
For playwrights older than 18, we have a range of opportunities through our Writers’ Card programme, and you can submit a script to us at any time during the year for consideration for our programme and festivals. This opportunity is specifically aimed at younger people who would not be old enough to take part in these wider opportunities.
- Will the winning writers be involved in the rehearsal process / invited to a dress rehearsal?
We cannot guarantee rehearsal attendance, but we’ll speak to winners to identify appropriate opportunities for creative input around performances.
- Is there a maximum number of characters I can have in the play?
No, but there will be a set number of actors performing the staged readings and they will try their best to represent all the characters in the winning plays.
- Are you able to give extensions to the deadline?
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to accept submissions after 2 May.
- Can I use music / lights / special effects in my play?
You are welcome to include stage directions in your play which indicate any technical requirements, however, we advise you not to be completely reliant on these to carry your narrative. The final staged readings will not be able to provide specific music, lighting and special effects unless they are very simple and already exist at the theatre.
- If I win, can I choose to remain anonymous or give a fake name?
Please enter using your real name. If you have a specific safeguarding reason for needing to remain anonymous if you are shortlisted, please let us know when you submit.
- How can my school get involved with in-person workshops?
As part of our funding we have space for up to 20 in-person workshops with schools and theatre groups. These are already arranged, chiefly prioritising local schools and organisations. If you would have liked a workshop you can let us know on youngplaywrights@royalcourttheatre.com in case we have space in the future.
- If I entered the play this year, am I allowed to enter the competition again next year?
Yes, if you still meet the eligibility criteria of any future competition, you would be welcome to enter again.
- Can I submit my play if it isn’t finished?
We will read whatever script you send, but the play will be considered on the merit of what has been written, up against other finished plays. We won’t consider notes or a synopsis, we will only read the actual script that you have sent. So we’d encourage you to make sure the play is finished before you press go on that submissions button.
- What is Royal Court? Is it something to do with the Royal Family?
Not quite! The Royal Court is a Theatre in London and is the leading national and international force for championing, cultivating, and supporting new theatre writers. Our work aims to empower new voices and nurture the talent of new playwrights and new writing. You can find out more about the Royal Court and what we do on our website.
For Schools & Groups
- Do teachers need to have any special knowledge of theatre to help young people on their plays?
No, we have designed the digital resources so that any member of school staff can set up a playwriting club, they just need to be interested in supporting the writers.
- What are you looking for in a play? Should I encourage my students to think about specific themes or write London-specific stories?
The only thing that our reading panel will be looking for is an original play, written by a young person for the stage. At the beginning of the process it might be useful to ask students to consider the kinds of themes and issues that they care about, but they don’t need to be guided towards anything in particular.
- My child would like to take part, but their school isn’t running a group and I’m not a teacher – can I set up my own group, or is there another way my child can take part?
If your child is aged 13-18 years old, they can access the resources and submit a play independently of their school via our website or in the post. Feel free to help and encourage them take part as a group with friends!
- What if there is a safeguarding concern about the content of a play?
If you are a member of staff at a school or youth club and have concerns about the content of a young person’s play, you should adhere to your safeguarding policy and refer the concern to your Designated Safeguarding Lead. If the Royal Court is concerned about the content of a play, we will adhere to our own safeguarding policy and may contact the named adult on the young person’s submission form.
Safeguarding & Privacy
- Why do you need a Young Person’s personal information?
We collect minimal personal information (name, age, email address, and play submission) to administer the competition. This data is used to:
- Confirm eligibility.
- Communicate with participants about competition updates.
- Identify and contact winners.
We never collect unnecessary information or share details with third parties without explicit consent.
- How will personal data be stored and protected?
All personal data is securely stored on password-protected systems accessible only by authorised competition staff. We use encryption and other security measures to protect your child’s information from unauthorized access.
- What happens to the data after the competition?
Once the competition ends, all personal data will be deleted unless:
The Young Person wins or is shortlisted, and they consent to their work being published or promoted.
The Young Person or their parent/guardian opt to receive updates about future competitions.
- Will the participant’s play be made public?
Plays will not be made public without explicit consent. If selected for publication or showcasing, we will contact the named adult and young person to confirm consent.
In this case, teachers will not be able to provide consent on behalf of a parent or guardian unless they have explicit written authorisation. Teachers can support participants in preparing and submitting their entries but must direct any subsequent consent matters to the participant’s parent/guardian.
- What safeguards are in place for reviewing play submissions?
We DBS check all of our readers and train them to identify and handle sensitive themes responsibly.
Any concerns regarding the content of a play will be referred to our safeguarding officer for review.
All information is stored securely and only accessible by authorised personnel
- Are submissions anonymous?
No, submissions will include name and age during the judging process to ensure feedback is age-appropriate. No details will be shared outside of the those directly involved in the competition without the explicit consent of the Young Person
- Will you communicate directly with the Young Person?
We will only communicate directly with participants for competition-related purposes, such as confirming submission details or announcing results. The named adult contact for participants under 18 will be copied into all communications
- Can I, as a parent or guardian, review my child’s submission?
You will not have an automatic right to review your child’s submission as we value and believe in their right to privacy. However, if your child consents and you can provide proof of your relationship to the child, we will share the submission.
- What should my child avoid including in their play?
We advise participants not to include:
Personal information (e.g., real names, addresses, or contact details).
Identifiable details about other individuals.
This helps protect their privacy and aligns with safeguarding best practices.
- What happens if there’s inappropriate content in a submission?
If a play contains inappropriate material that may constitute a safeguarding concern, it will be flagged for review by our safeguarding officer. We may contact the participant (and their parent/guardian, if under 18) to discuss concerns. Plays with serious safeguarding risks may be withdrawn from the competition.
- Can a young person withdraw from the competition?
Yes, participants can withdraw at any time by contacting us at youngplaywrights@royalcourttheatre.com. All associated data will be deleted upon withdrawal.
- What if my child turns 18 during the competition?
If your child turns 18 during the competition, they will no longer require parental consent. Until then, consent from a parent/guardian should the participant be shortlisted is required to ensure compliance with safeguarding policies.