SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR SIDE HUSTLE SCRATCH AT THE LION AND UNICORN THEATRE

We go again! Celebrate the Summer with us as Side Hustle crashes back into Kentish Town this July.

After a huge event this weekend, we’re back at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre this July looking for 18 brand new pieces of writing.

If you’ve got something you want to test, push, or just get in front of an audience for the first time, this is the space for it.

Short. Sharp. No more than 10-12 minutes.
1 to 4 actors.
Any subject, any topic, Just make it count.

We’re especially keen to hear from global majority and working class writers and performers.

📅 24 – 26 July
📍 Lion & Unicorn Theatre
📝 Deadline: 22 May, 5pm
🔗 Submit via the link

SUBMISSIONS FOR GRIMFEST 2026 ARE OPEN

GrimFest is back 13th-31st October 2026 

Applications close 30 April

GrimFest 2026

A celebration of dark & twisted theatre in the bleeding heart of London!

Now entering it’s frightful fifth year, our horror festival has grown in size and terror since we began in 2022 at the haunted Old Red Lion Pub & Playhouse. Last year we partnered with the wonderful Barons Court Theatre and Bread & Roses Theatre to host even more grim plays, cabarets, musicals and even clowning, puppets and interactive shows. And we are thrilled to say they will hosting companies again this Halloween season, as well as our all new fourth venue Drayton Arms Theatre

If you are a fan of live horror then please follow the best dedicated festival of horror theatre in the city – find us on Twitter (X) and Instagram @grimfestuk

Join us for a glimpse of madness in our Scratch Night of new work on Sunday 19th April

If you have any questions about GrimFest please get in touch – grimfestuk@gmail.com

Produced and Curated by Medium Rare Productions & Pither Productions

APPLICATION FORM

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR SE FEST AT JACK STUDIO THEATRE AND BRIDGE HOUSE THEATRE

The Jack Studio and The Bridge House Theatre collaborate for the third year to create a festival that promotes and celebrates new writing.

SE Fest 2026 dates: Tue 01 – Sat 12 September 2026.

Submissions are NOW OPEN and close on Friday 15th May at 5.00pm.
SE Fest gives companies the unique opportunity to perform at both venues during the festival fortnight.

Thanks to Arts Council England for their support which enables game-changing support for companies in SE Fest.

SE Fest 2026 is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

FULL DETAILS AND HOW TO APPLY at Bridge House Theatre Penge and at Brockley Jack Studio, Lewisham

DEEPER LEARNING AT DRAYTON ARMS THEATRE

Drayton Arms Theatre is running a series for theatre professionals at reasonable prices - coming up soon:

Workshop: How To Write An Effective Press Release (for Edinburgh Fringe)

Date & Time: May 23rd, 3pm-4:30pm

Handling your own PR for Edinburgh Fringe? Not sure where to begin? This workshop will help you write your own press release for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We will be going over what reviewers are looking for when they’re inundated with invitations, how to style an elevator pitch, and what opportunities are available at the Fringe to solicit reviews and more!

LINK: https://www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/effective-press-release

GOTHIC HAMPSTEAD: DARK MATTERS AT CIRCLE AND STAR IN HAMPSTEAD - INVITATION TO SUBMIT YOUR SHOW
October — November

We are curating a season of gothic, psychological and immersive work for an adult audience.
Work that lives centimetres from the audience — where silence, breath and detail matter. 
We’re inviting a limited number of artists and companies to bring work into this space.

Including: horror/sci-fi/cult

• Psychological / gothic theatre
• Talks and interviews
• Immersive & one-to-fifty experiences
• The macabre — considered, controlled
• Music-led, narrative work
• Explorations of the quantum realm

Tone matters.
Precision over chaos.
Atmosphere over spectacle.

submit: hello@circleandstar.com
submissions: from today.

The space is fully equipped to a premium standard — sound, lighting, projection, and optional broadcast capability.

CIRCLE & STAR IN HAMPSTEAD ARE PROGRAMMING MAY - DECEMBER 2026

We are now inviting playwrights and directors with new or developing projects to

join us at Circle & Star Theatre, Hampstead between May and December 2026.

Circle & Star is an intimate 55-seat independent theatre dedicated to proximity

between artist and audience — work experienced at eye level, where story,

performance and presence meet.

We are looking for:

• New writing

• Solo and small-cast productions

• Text-led performance

• Innovative theatrical ideas suited to an intimate space

• Finished works or projects ready for development runs

Our programme supports artists who value connection over scale — work

designed for closeness, conversation, and craft.

What we offer

• Central Hampstead location (30 seconds from the Tube)

• Fully equipped professional theatre space

• Marketing and programming collaboration

• Flexible run structures

• A curated artistic environment alongside established salon series and visiting

artistsIf you have a project ready to share with an engaged London audience, we would

love to hear from you.

To submit:

material to:

Please send a short project outline, creative team details, and any supporting

steve@circleandstar.com

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR CAMDEN HORROR FEST 2026 at ETCETERA THEATRE

Applications are now OPEN

This October, the Etcetera Theatre becomes a home for horror, suspense, dark comedy and the uncanny.

Etcetera Theatre, Camden
1 October – 31 October 2026
Shows daily at 1pm · 3pm · 5pm · 7pm · 9pm

WHY APPLY?
🩸 Keep 90–95% of your box office
🩸 Projector, screen, mics, JESTER 24 desk, LED lighting system + halogen
🩸 Full box office & front-of-house management included
🩸 Online listing + marketing resources and support (35K followers across social media)
🩸 42-seat award-winning pub theatre
🩸 Ideal for new work, solo shows, short runs & longer horror arcs

Tickets sold via Etcetera Theatre & Citizen Ticket
Tech, PA, mics included | projector & piano available
Renovated lighting rig |

Slots are first come, first served
Longer runs & Sunday performances are prioritised to support fair earnings for artists.
To apply, email admin@etceteratheatre.com

SUBSIDISED REHEARSAL SPACE AT GOLDEN GOOSE THEATRE, CAMBERWELL

Need some rehearsal space? We’ve got two spaces at seriously reduced rates!
From £70 per day
Level access and disabled facilities
Natural light
Get in touch to enquire via hire@goldengoosetheatre.co.uk

APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR NORTH SAPPH-FEST AT THE HOPE THEATRE

Applications are now open for The Hope Theatre’s exciting new festival “North Sapph-Fest”, a month-long theatre festival dedicated to uplifting and platforming the bold work of queer women and non-binary artists. Running from Monday 3rd to Friday 28th August, it will transform The Hope Theatre into a vibrant hub of new writing, genre-defying performance, and authentic queer storytelling.

Each evening will feature two performances per night, with participating companies offered short runs of 2–5 performances that give audiences a rolling programme of fresh discoveries. In a move to remove barriers and open doors for emerging voices, there are no entrance fees & no hidden charges for artists — part of The Hope Theatre’s ongoing commitment to nurturing underrepresented creatives and creating genuinely accessible opportunities.

North Sapph-Fest aims to become a joyful, community-focused fixture in London’s theatre landscape: a space where new talent can be seen, where risks are encouraged, and where queer stories are celebrated loudly, proudly, and without compromise. The Hope is on the hunt for an eclectic mix of bold new writing, inventive re-imaginings of existing shows, and intimate stories that reflect the breadth and brilliance of the community.

And applications are now open. Artists wishing to take part in this vibrant new festival that champions fresh voices and uplifts the community are asked to send an email to northsapphfest@gmail.com attaching 2 items: -

1. A proposed script
   OR
   A script outline accompanied by an example of past writing
2. A short cover letter telling us a bit about yourself and your hopes for the project

Applications are open until 6pm on Sunday 31st May 2026.

REGULARS

Opportunities for WRITERS at THE SCENE PODCAST, with live showings at BREAD & ROSES and TABARD THEATRE

Since its formation in 2004 Get Over It Productions has always been a safe space for marginalised voices to take the stand. Starting life 16 years ago, touring all-female Shakespeare across the UK Fringe Festivals, these days the stories of all key identity groups are nurtured here. With London residencies at the Bread and Roses Theatre (Clapham) and Theatre at the Tabard (Chiswick) this tenacious collective is driven to create opportunities for new narratives to be heard and is always planning their next step.  Follow them on X for updates on their next submission date @getoveritpro

BURNT ORANGE THEATRE runs SCRATCH NIGHTS at BARONS COURT THEATRE designed for young artists 16 - 25 years every few months

Submit here Sunday Sessions Launch Night | Burnt Orange Theatre Company

SCRATCH AT THE JACK is back, SUBMISSIONS are open regularly

Join us for our Scratch nights of new theatre and performance at the Jack Studio. Every two months we host a 75-minute show of five to six performances.

We are looking for pieces that are exciting, innovative and engaging. We are strong advocates of diversity in theatre and are open to all. The audience will give feedback after the event which we will send to you. Are you ready to surprise us?

Full details and how to submit Scratch at the Jack Studio • Jack Studio Theatre (brockleyjack.co.uk)

Opportunities to be part of Hatch & Scratch 2024 at Golden Goose Theatre

Want to take part as an actor, director or writer in our Hatch & Scratch outings this year? We're always looking to meet new faces

Catch us on scratch@pathwaytheatre.co.uk

The Sunday Fix at BARONS COURT THEATRE

Submissions deadline 15th of every month

You're invited to our monthly scratch night with a difference!

Get your creative fix in an evening that's part Q&A, part scratch night and a whole lot of fun.

Are you a writer with 10 minutes of a new play that you'd like feedback on? 

Maybe you're a director or actor who loves new writing and wants more experience?

Or a theatre lover who's curious about the theatre making process?

Come along to the Sunday Fix and join our growing network of emerging artists getting creative together.

The Sunday Fix | Barons Court Theatre

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Playwriting Opportunities at BREAD AND ROSES THEATRE

We run the monthly Bread & Roses Playwrights Circle, a friendly and supportive group in which playwrights can share their work and work-in-progress, as well as a biennial Playwriting Award for full-length plays and a biannual scratch night The Platform for short plays. We also publish selected plays from our theatre programme.

PAID SCRIPTWRITING OPPORTUNTIES AT NEWSREVUE, CANAL CAFE THEATRE

Deadline: Rolling

NewsRevue is the world’s longest running live comedy show at it's home in Canal Cafe Theatre, Little Venice, Edinburgh Fringe and the West End.  This current affairs parody song and sketch show is acknowledged as a “rite of passage for all comedy newcomers” (Chortle).

NewsRevue is always in need of good scripts and writers are invited to submit their work.  It’s important to see the show first (complimentary tickets are available from the venue to see the show).    mail@CanalCafeTheatre.com

DATABASE FOR STAGE MANAGERS AND THEATRE TECHNICIANS

Since the pandemic there has been a shortage of  Stage Managers and Theatre Technicians in London.  Bridge House Theatre is compiling a database which they will share with other off west end and independent theatres.  

If you would like to add your details to the Bridge House Theatre database please click here

LINKS TO OTHER OPPORTUNTIES

BBC WRITER ROOM https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/