Unsolicited Scripts

You’ve spent hours hunched over your keyboard, drinking endless cups of coffee and wondering how you’ll ever complete your play. You’ve already shed blood, sweat and tears but now the greatest hurdle awaits you: getting someone to produce it.

For playwrights without representation and a body of work behind them, sometimes getting someone to even read your script can be challenge. Like most theatre companies in Australia, Sydney Theatre Company has limited resources which prevent us from being able to read every script submitted directly to us. However, there are pathways via which you can make us aware of your work.

PlayWriting Australia - PostScript 

Sydney Theatre Company is proud to participate in PostScript, a new initiative from PlayWriting Australia which gives unknown, unproduced or overlooked playwrights an opportunity to have their unsolicited script read and assessed by a representative from a leading theatre company. These assessments are stored in a shared database which can be accessed by literary managers and artistic directors nationwide. To find out more about how the scheme works visit: www.pwa.org.au/Skills/PostScript

The Patrick White Playwrights’ Award 

Once a year, STC invites playwrights to submit their unproduced plays to the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award. Although we make no commitment to produce the winning play, the award is prestigious and is an opportunity for unknown playwrights with outstanding scripts to gain recognition. For more information visit: www.sydneytheatre.com.au/about/Patrick-White-Playwrights-Award

While STC predominantly produces work by playwrights who are advanced in their careers, we are constantly scouring the independent sector for exciting new writers. If you are an unproduced playwright and are convinced that your script is ready to be staged, you may wish to consider producing your play independently. This is an effective way of demonstrating your potential and enabling you to make the transition from unproduced to emerging playwright.

Established Playwrights

If you are an established playwright from Australia it is more than likely that we are already in contact with you. If you think that you have been overlooked for any reason, we would love for you to get in touch. In the first instance it is advisable initiate contact via your agent.

International Playwrights

If you are a playwright who has had your work produced by a major international theatre company we are probably aware of your work. If you would like to bring a particular play to our attention, please make contact with us via your agent.

For more information about STC’s initiatives for playwrights and the development of new work click here.