Friedman Seeks New Play for Reality TV PremiereDate: 11 May 2005
Following the success of Musicality and Operatunity, in which contestants had the chance to battle for a place in a West End musical or an opera (See News, 23 Nov 2004), Channel 4 has announced its new series centring on producing a new play in the West End. In association with West End producer Sonia Friedman (pictured), The Play’s the Thing will find an unproduced British playwright and stage their play in the West End.
Hopefuls are being invited to submit their work now for the four-part series. A panel - including Friedman, a literary agent and a director - will select a shortlist of three plays. The winning play will then be chosen to receive its world premiere next year.
The first three episodes of the series will be aired on Channel 4 in spring 2006, when viewers will get to witness the mechanics and development behind the play’s production as well as the logistical struggle to get it on. The final episode will be timed to tie in with the show’s West End opening later in the year.
The West End stage is rife with musicals, revivals and transfers but new plays fare less well unless they have transferred from elsewhere, often in the subsidised sector. In 2004, there was a spate of swift play closures - the sole West End-originated new play, Friedman’s own production of Michael Hastings’ Calico, closed within a month despite the high-calibre team of director Edward Hall and actress Imelda Staunton and some positive reviews (See News, 22 Mar 2004).
Commenting on The Play’s the Thing, Friedman said: "Theatre critics constantly bemoan the fact that there are not enough new plays in the West End. I agree. Coming from a subsidised, new-writing background but now working exclusively in the commercial sector, I find it frustrating that so few new plays premiere in the West End. The reason why is obvious: the financial risks are too high and the pressure to succeed is too intense. Therefore I am excited by the prospect of hunting for that elusive new play from that first-time playwright, and then producing it to the highest standards and seeing if it is possible for the play to go on to enjoy critical and financial success."
The first part of the The Play’s the Thing selection process invites potential playwrights to submit a synopsis, examples of dialogue and character descriptions. The submission deadline closes on 1 July 2005.
The Play’s The Thing was commissioned by Jan Younghusband, the head of Channel 4 Arts and the woman behind Operatunity and Musicality. For more information on the series and how to enter, visit the Channel 4 website.
- by Hannah Kennedy
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