Heretic Productions Launches New Monologue Writing Competition

Heretic Productions today announces Heretic Voices, a new nationwide competition to find the best new writing in monologue form, with the four winners receiving a full production in the main space at the Arcola Theatre in January 2018. In addition the winning monologues will be published as a collection.

Applicants can enter any monologue, written in English, with a running time of between 15 and 45 minutes maximum length, that has never received a professional production. A shortlist of plays will be judged by a panel including Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington, award-winning playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, BAFTA Award-winning actor Monica Dolan and literary agent Mel Kenyon.

Artistic Director of Heretic Productions Max Gill said today, "There is a glittering wealth of writing talent in the UK but a poverty of opportunity for the great majority to have their work fully staged by professional creative teams. We cannot wait to present a diverse collection of revelatory and distinctive voices united by a desire to delight and excite an audience. Whether it is an opportunity to explore vibrant character, give voice to the unheard, or craft a unique and challenging relationship between speaker and listener, the range and possibility of the monologue form is thrilling. The door to Heretic Voices is wide open; no matter who you are, we are ravenous to read your work."

Michael Billington said, "New writing prizes proliferate but this one is special in that it promotes solo voices and in that the prize is a guarantee of a production and publication. I am delighted to be part of a distinguished judging panel and would urge everyone to get writing."

Mehmet Ergen and Leyla Nazli, Arcola's Artistic Director and Executive Producer, commented, "One voice can tear up years of received wisdom, offer a profound insight, or reveal an entirely new way of looking at the world. Arcola is proud to have nurtured voices that have gone on to resonate far and wide: Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Alecky Blythe, Barney Norris, and many others. With Heretic Voices, we hope to see many more original perspectives represented, and enlivened, on the Arcola stage."

The application period opens today and closes on 30 September. Entries should be submitted to hello@hereticproductions.co.uk.