The Competition

In April 2005, Channel 4 launched a nationwide search for a new play by a first-time playwright. The competition, which closed on 1 July 2005, attracted over 2,000 entries, 30 of which were finally put forward to our judging panel. As well as supporting the TV series in all its facets, one of the major inspirations for this website was to provide something more on the business of drama writing for those other 1,970 entrants whose plays didn’t make the shortlist.

Entries were in the form of a synopsis, sample scenes and a character list. The submissions included plays about murderous funeral directors, international terrorism, surrealist political satire, and dramas about Jesus.

Entrants ranged from train drivers to shelf stackers, from scientists to hospital porters, from cinema ushers to bouncers, with a few teachers and several plumbers thrown in along the way.

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