Judi Dench backs new children’s playwriting contest

Judi Dench is backing a new children’s playwriting competition launched by the BBC’s One Show and the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Merseyside.

The competition, called As You Write It, Your Play on Stage, is open to young people aged seven to 16. To enter, children are asked to come up with an idea for a play, up to four of the main characters and the first few opening lines.

Nine finalists across three age categories will be selected by a panel of judges, which include screenwriter and actor Frank Cottrell-Boyce and the One Show presenter Alex Jones.

The finalists will have the opportunity to work with professionals to complete their play scripts and the best in each category will have an excerpt shown on the BBC’s One Show in early 2021.

When finished, the winning plays will be performed on stage at the new Shakespeare North Playhouse.

The competition aims to inspire the next generation of playwrights and encourage a love for theatre in young people.

Dench said: “It is vital to do something like this during lockdown. It will fire children’s imagination and will spark their interest in going to the theatre.

“They don’t have to write a whole play – just an idea, a few characters and some opening lines.”

Cottrell-Boyce said: “Creativity is really important. Not just for children who want to be actors or writers but for everyone.

"As we have seen in the pandemic we really need our politicians, scientists and carers to think creatively. We’ve also seen that parents need to be creative, of course.

"By encouraging creativity we help develop problem-solving skills and inner resilience - the things we need to get us through hard times."

The Shakespeare North Playhouse is currently being built and is due for completion in 2022.

Max Steinberg, chairman of the Shakespeare North Trust, said: “The Playhouse is such an exciting project and we are determined to use its development as an opportunity to engage more and more children and young people with the theatre, the arts, culture and literature.

“Young people have incredibly creative minds and often see the world in a totally refreshing and individual way. We are keen to capture that.”