2014 seems to be a good year for playwrights. There is a sudden burst of interest in our craft. Competitions are springing up all over the UK and many of them with prestigefull regional companies as part of the headline. The latest include The Royal Court Liverpool. I applaud these initiatives and efforts to
publicise the event . I think this sort of competition can be worthwhile and an excellent way to get playwrights to rise to the challenge of getting new
material in front of new managements. However I must explain why I will not by
entering or recommending anyone I know to enter despite the lure of a £10,000 prize.
I disagree strongly with the idea of paying a fee to enter. In the case of one
it is £15 and Liverpool Hope Prize it is a whopping £20. Not an earth shattering
amount but quite a chunk for some of us who are struggling to make ends
meet. What I really object to is the
reduction in the relationship between the playwright, director and
company. In the past this has always
been one of equals. By charging the
playwright a fee you are saying, in effect, “you are an appellant, a lesser
part in the process”. Playwriting has
now become a vanity hobby rather than a serious craft. I have seen the status
of playwrights whittled away over the last few years. A writer who has spent his or her lifetime
wrestling out the details of a craft and an art form is no longer considered
part of a team who creates something new and thrilling. As a director I have worked with new and
emerging writers, they are indeed, the future, they are the ones who will shake
up the industry but there is also something to be gained from those who are
serious about their art and craft.
Neither should be charged for the privilege of reading their work. In the case of the Liverpool prize one of the judges is John Godber. Would the Royal Court charge him £20 to read one of his plays?
You will undoubtedly counter by saying that this small fee
goes towards administrative costs. This,
of course, is a nonsense. I believe it
is up to you to raise the money to fund
the exercise properly. Did you not
include “administrative costs” in your original budget?
In future I ask you to accord due respect to the artists and
crafts people you rely on to create your programme and not expect playwrights
to subidise it.
Please don’t think my in any way antagonistic towards you, your company or the competition. I merely argue against the underlying
assumptions. Best of luck.
