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.

The Play Lottery performs at the Libra Theatre in Camden, with three nights planned for 2026:

• Saturday 31 January

• Wednesday 18 March

• Thursday 1 October

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

Applications are now open for the March 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 Saturday 31 January

• 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 18 March, 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.