The Stage

The Play’s the Thing writing contest set for radio

Published Tuesday 13 February 2007 at 13:55 by Liz Thomas

Channel 4 is launching a radio version of new writing talent search The Play’s the Thing as part of its bid to move into the audio sector and rival the BBC’s dominance of the market.

Last year, the broadcaster launched the television series, which resulted in a script by university lecturer Kate Betts being chosen from more than 2,000 entries to be developed into a West End play by producer Sonia Friedman.

The project has now been adapted and offers four upcoming authors the chance to get their work professionally produced and aired across the UK.

Nathalie Schwarz, director of Channel 4 Radio, said: “We are very excited about moving into an area which the BBC has dominated for so long. The Radio Play’s the Thing is the perfect vehicle to find the next generation of talent. By giving aspiring writers the chance to have their scripts professionally produced, we can help identify and develop some of the UK’s most exciting new radio talent, and I’m looking forward to reading some truly innovative and ground-breaking work.”

New writers are being asked to submit a 15-minute drama tackling any subject before March 26. It will then be assessed by a judging panel which includes The Radio Academy’s director Trevor Dann, Nottingham Playhouse chief executive Stephanie Sirr and writer Annie Caulfield. Shortlisted scripts will be developed through masterclasses in order to select the four winners. These will be then be produced for transmission on the public service broadcaster’s radio services, including speech-only station Oneword, in which it has a 51% stake.

The creation of the scheme comes at a time when the broadcaster is pushing forward into the audio sector. It launched its radio station online in June 2006 and revealed plans to lead a consortium to bid for the new national digital licence, which media regulator Ofcom advertised late last year.

See www.channel4.com/theplay for more details.