By George! A Special Ticket to Write
After the sell-out success of the 2012 ‘Ticket to Write’ Beatles-themed final on new writing, the organizers are preparing a second exciting festival for 2013.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the birth of George Harrison, four out of the eight plays chosen for 2013 will have a George theme: Entries can be about his work, his music, his life – any legitimate story about this beloved member of the Fab Four. “Often dubbed the gentle Beatle, George’s nature gave him a special place in the hearts of The Fans,” said Jamie Gaskin, Festival Director. “It’s an anniversary we, and I am sure many others round the world, will be marking with a sense of affection.” he added.
The other four plays, as 2012, can feature any aspect of The Beatles: Their lives, music, work. They can include some, all or none of the group. All plays submitted must be about 15 minutes long and have a maximum of four characters. The closing date for all entries is Friday April 5, 2013.
Once again the staging will be in the hands of Crosby-based director and actor, Michelle Taylor, who trained at Middlesex University. Her directorial credits include: ‘Swim’ (The Actors Studio, winner of ‘Best play’ Write Now Festival 2012).
“We are beefing up the chances to win this year: Instead of a final with three plays battling it out for the prize money all EIGHT plays staged will have a chance to win £150. The eight will be fully rehearsed and produced, unlike 2012 when there was a script-in-hand semi-final. We are planning to run the 2013 event over two consecutive nights.” Jamie explained. A suitable judge will assess both nights and like 2012 the audience will count towards the final outcome. It is planned to stage the plays in Liverpool in July.
Because of the great interest from abroad (about a quarter of the 2012 entries were from other countries) at least ONE non-UK entry will be among the eight chosen for staging.
The initial selection will be carried out by an independent assessor with no details of the author on the script being judged.
“From competitors’ remarks we noted that they were keen to get feedback on their work so we are giving a short, but structured, analysis to all entrants. To achieve this extra benefit we are increasing the entry fee from £10 to £15.” said Jamie. Festival organizers are currently exploring several possible Liverpool venues to stage the event. “This is a a wonderful way for playwrights to have fun by writing about the lives and work of Liverpool’s favourite sons. Plus a chance to see their work staged by a professional team for no additional cost than the £15 entry fee. All production and publicity costs are provided by The Ticket to Write Management. What an opportunity!” said Jamie.
Just a reminder that Maddie Wilson from Surrey won a £150 prize for her play “Maxwell Must Go Free”, in last year’s festival.
“Ticket To Write was a great opportunity to write about something I loved, and for anybody with a good idea to actually have it realised on stage. There’s so much to say about the Beatles that I’m sure the competition can run and run!” said Maddie.
For full details about the Festival and How to Enter visit www.acedrama.co.uk.