About the Play Lottery

The Play Lottery is a brand-new playwriting contest, but with the twist being that the winner is chosen entirely at random.

The Play Lottery is a platform to develop writers' work, and provide feedback and opportunities to those who may not necessarily receive it. It is also a critique of the current state of the arts, and a direct provocation to the audience to consider what kinds of works typically get selected by venues, funders and writing competitions.

After developing the concept in 2024, we are delighted to begin a series of Play Lotteries in the Libra Theatre Café in Camden – see below for more details.

When it's as difficult to get your play staged as it is to win the lottery, why not leave the selection of a play totally to chance?

Our Next Play Lottery

We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting a monthly Play Lottery night at the Libra Theatre in Camden.

Applications are now open for the May Play Lottery. Here are the overall details to be aware of:

• You can submit your script to the Play Lottery here, with submissions closing at 12 noon on Monday 21 April

• After submissions close, a script will be chosen at random, with the winning writer getting feedback on their script, a script-in-hand performance of their piece at the Libra Theatre Café on Wednesday 21 May, and a share of the available profit from the performance

• Eligible scripts must be original, can only previously have had a maximum of two rehearsed readings, must have a maximum of two performers, and should be between 30 and 75 minutes long when performed. Beyond that and the rest of our terms and conditions, feel free to submit anything you like!

If you have any questions in relation to submitting to the Play Lottery, you can email the Producer, Jamie, here.