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Write A Play And Get It Performed: Performance

by Lesley Bown and Ann Gawthorpe

Plays are meant to be performed and there is no greater pleasure for a writer than to see (or hear) their work brought to life by actors. It is rare for new writers to see their work produced professionally, but there are other ways of having your work performed.

Local amateur dramatic groups are often on the look out for new plays, particularly if the writer is prepared to write something specific for them or to take into account that the group may have 20 women but only two men who want to take to the stage. Other avenues to explore are schools which that put on annual productions or local festivals, which sometimes incorporate a dramatic element.

Look out for competitions which that offer a production as a prize. Even script-in-hand performances will give a good idea of how the play will work.

It is also possible for writers to stage their own productions. This will means hiring a venue, finding the actors and a director and doing all the publicity to attract an audience. Keep costs down by doing as much work as possible yourself: tickets, programmes, publicity flyers and posters can all be done on the computer. The main point to bear in mind is to ensure it is financially viable.


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