Unleash your creativity at the TakeTen Chesil Theatre New Writing Festival 2025-26!

TakeTen Chesil Theatre New Writing Festival 2025-26 

Unleash your creativity at our ninth biennial playwriting event!

Aspiring and seasoned writers were invited to participate in the nationwide competition, which ran from 1st March to 1st June 2025, exploring the intriguing theme of ‘Angels.’

From leather-clad motorbike riders to classical and fallen angels, nurses, investment backers, and even an angel fish or angel cake - the possibilities were endless.

Key Dates:
- Competition Opens: 1st March 2025
- Competition Closes: 1st June 2025
- Winners Announced: November 2025
- Winning Plays Performed: 27th February-1st March 2026 at Chesil Theatre

Submission Guidelines:
- Duration: around 10 minutes
- Cast: 1-4 actors
- Production: Minimal set, props, lighting, and sound
- Originality: Scripts must be original, unperformed, and unpublished
- Theme: Must integrate this year’s theme, ‘Angels’


Thank you to all who entered! We look forward to announcing the winners in November and bringing their work to life on stage in 2026.

Contact: [email protected]

LTG Patrons on previous festivals...

“I thought the whole enterprise was startlingly good and an example of what a company like the Chesil can do better than a professional one.”
Sir Ian McKellen

“Three cheers for Winchester’s Chesil Theatre. At a time of challenge for all, they have bravely looked to creativity and imagination.”
Sir Kenneth Branagh

A message from playwright and LTG Patron, Jessica Swale...

"Ah... writing. Sometimes writing can be utterly joyful. On those days where ideas seem to flow with all the energy and gusto of a kid whizzing down a waterslide, throwing their arm up as the spray cascades, what could be more rewarding!"