The Lancaster Playwriting Prize, now in its third year, is run in partnership by the Department of English Literature and Creative Writing at Lancaster University and The Dukes in Lancaster. It will include a cash prize for the winner of £1,500, as well as a rehearsed reading of their play and mentoring.  

The genre of play can be anything – the only requirement is that it explores queer themes with an original flair.  

The final judging panel this year will comprise Lucy Briers, Dr Tajinder Singh Hayer, Karen O’Neill and writer Ben Weatherill.  

The extended deadline for applications is Monday, 1st November, at 12 noon with the winner(s) to be announced in December.   

Submission guidelines  

• The competition is open to any writers who identify as LGBTQAI+ who are originally from, resident or work in the North West of England. For the purposes of this prize, the North West consists of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, the Isle of Man and Merseyside.
• Writers must be over 16 and no older than 30. 
• The play must be an original, unpublished and unproduced piece of work. It cannot have had a professional production anywhere in the world. For the purposes of this prize, development performances (such as rehearsed readings and workshops) do not constitute full productions; amateur productions also do not count as full productions under these criteria. 
• Adaptations of existing works of musical theatre, radio, television or other media are not eligible; translations of said works are also excluded.   
  Musical theatre scripts are not eligible.
• Scripts must be a minimum of 30 minutes long and all pages must be numbered.   
• Entries must be sent as word documents or PDF files to creativecommunities@dukeslancaster.org   
• Your email should also include an attached completed monitoring form: LPP monitoring form  

Further information can be found here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/english-literature-and-creative-writing/literary-lancaster/lancaster-playwriting-prize/