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.

So far we have run a Play Lottery for East of England-based writers at the Mercury Theatre in April, and a scratch night at the PEN Theatre in June.

The Play Lottery is 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 our launch events in 2024, we are keen to roll out the scheme nationwide. Contact our Producer Jamie here if you feel you could support the Play Lottery's future.

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?