A national competition for 13-18 year-olds to write a short play. All entrants receive personal feedback and winners’ plays will be performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London, and published.

Do you have an idea or a story to tell? Can you imagine it performed live, by actors on a stage? It’s time to start your playwriting journey. The Young Playwrights Award is a free, open-access competition for any teenager in the UK interested in writing a play.

Your play can be about anything you want or imagine: something that inspires you, a story not told before, or ideas that challenge the world around you. To help you get the most out of the experience, they also offer support and advice at every step – including workshop videos, free online workshops, and dedicated resources for schools and groups getting involved. https://royalcourttheatre.com/write-and-create/schools-young-people/young-playwrights-award/for-schools-groups-2/
They are also running free, online workshops for young people throughout the UK: https://royalcourttheatre.com/write-and-create/schools-young-people/young-playwrights-award/workshops/

The Young Playwrights Award is open for entries online from 27 January – 12 noon, 22 April 2026: https://royalcourttheatre.com/write-and-create/schools-young-people/young-playwrights-award/entries-awards/

For further information, please contact youngplaywrights@royalcourttheatre.com (Tabitha Hayward), call 0207 565 5045 or visit https://royalcourttheatre.com/write-and-create/schools-young-people/young-playwrights-award/.