Arts Richmond have announced the four finalists for their biannual New Plays Festival.
More than 50 playwrights submitted their scripts to the charity, who announced the finalists on Friday.
The final four plays will be performed on Sunday 13 October at the Orange Tree Theatre, from 3pm.
Event administrator Linda Hansell said: “I’m really excited to be there and to watch my paperwork actually come to life on stage.”
A panel of industry professionals will decide the winning play on the day, then Richmond upon Thames Council Mayor Richard Pine will present the winner with their trophy and prize.
The New Plays Festival is one of many events that Arts Richmond runs that promote the arts in and around Richmond.
Each play is no longer than 20 minutes and has a maximum of four actors.
Hansell said: “Local theatre is hugely important around here.”
One such example of promoting theatre in the area is when the charity hosted the SWAN Awards, known as ‘The Oscars of Richmond’, on Saturday 21 September.
Nearly 300 people gathered at the Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington for a black-tie awards ceremony that celebrated the best productions, performers, artists and designers in the area.
In addition to events like the SWAN Awards, the charity supports 12 amateur drama groups in the area.
While the New Plays Festival is not restricted to playwrights from the borough, it tends to attract local talent.
When submitting their entries, playwrights could either come with their own director and cast or a Richmond-based drama group would put the performance together.
When asked what she would say to someone coming to the event, Hansell added: “I think they would thoroughly enjoy the afternoon.
“They are going to see four really good pieces of original work as they’ve got through the process and have become finalists.
“It will be an afternoon of such interesting, varied theatre in the iconic Orange Tree Theatre.”
The four finalists of the New Plays Festival 2024 are:
- ‘Sky Horses’ by Patricia Bertram
- ‘That’s All Folks’ by Jacqueline Hazell
- ‘The Boot Room’ by Rebecca Mayhew
- ‘Common Ground’ by Dominic Parford
Tickets for the festival are available for £10 plus a booking fee, with more details and tickets available on the Arts Richmond website.
Photos attributed to Simone Best and Arts Richmond
