Shorts Shout-Out 2025

Our annual August celebration of original writing in the form of 10-minute plays may seem a long way away, but there’s a whole heap of preparation that has to be done to make it happen in 2025. 

The Shorts are a great way too for budding actors, directors and backstage people as well as writers to get experience without the pressure of a full-scale play.

We need an enthusiastic and well-organised team to get involved in next year’s Shorts, scheduled to take place 5 – 9 August.

There are a number of task for the team – these include:

• Deciding on a theme for writers to use to craft their plays and creating a poster 
• Inviting submissions from writers, setting out the parameters for the process including deadlines – things need to get moving in early spring
• Reading the submissions and creating a shortlist of the best of the bunch
• Arranging a panel reading to determine the final line-up
• Calling for directors 
• Arranging and running auditions for actors in April
• Working with directors to cast the plays following those auditions
• Recruiting the backstage team, lighting designer, tech operator
• Arranging rehearsal times and spaces from late May through July
• Liaising with the publicity team to market the event
• Making arrangements for run-up week in late July, tech runs, dress rehearsals, changing spaces and so on (there will be a lot of actors!)
• Ensuring a sell-out!

Make no mistake, the curation and production of the Shorts is a great deal of work, but the bigger the curation and production team, the better the load can be spread – and it’s such rewarding fun! You don’t need to be an experienced director, but if you’re organised and good at admin, that’s a big advantage. Stage management experience is a bonus too. And joining the team doesn’t exclude you from taking part as a writer, director, actor or backstage, but you’ll participate in the process the same as anyone else.

If you’re interested in getting involved  in 2025, please email Theatre Committee by

1 December (but please note this is NOT a call for writers yet – that comes later).

We look forward to hearing from you!