Do you have an unproduced 60-minute play or musical hiding deep in a drawer or in the corners of your mind, ready to emerge into the light? THIS IS THE SIGN YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! The Hamilton Fringe New Play Contest is ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! This contest is open to ALL writers/collectives, no experience necessary. All submissions are anonymized and read by the jury. ⁠

First prize winner gets a FREE performance slot in this year’s Hamilton Fringe Festival plus $300.00 CAD. Second and third place winners each receive a Fringe Binge Pass!

The Basics:

1. There is a $35 non-refundable application fee.
2. Open to all playwrights/creators/collectives.
3. Only one entry per playwright/creator/collective is permitted.
4. All entries must be a new, original, unproduced play or musical. (Plays/musicals that have been given a staged reading or have been workshopped/mounted in student festivals within an academic context are eligible. If you're not sure if your piece qualifies, contact Executive Director Christopher Stanton BEFORE you apply: christopher@hftco.ca.) 
5. First time stage adaptations of other work from another medium are eligible IF AND ONLY IF the playwright has the rights to adapt and present the work for public performance.
6. Plays can be written/performed in any language, however the playwright must provide an English translation for the jury. (The English translation is what the jury will be evaluating.) 
7. The playwright(s) may have received funding to create or workshop this play.
8. All plays/musicals must have a performance time of 60 minutes or less.

⁠Winners will be announced in January at the Hamilton Fringe Festival’s Lottery Party this winter (event details to be shared later).⁠ Read the full rules and regulations, submit your 60-minute script before midnight on November 14, 2024, and we’ll see you at the Lottery Party! ⁠

Visit hftco.ca/new-play-contest for all the info.