SCRATCH NIGHTS

a great way to test new screenplay ideas 

Scriptwriters are always itching to receive feedback on new work they're developing in order to keep up momentum. And as I keep telling the new writers I work with, there's no better way than a scratch night to do this. 

A scratch night is an evening of short plays, usually 10 to 15-minutes each. They’re produced and staged by a theatre company, usually in an actual theatre. Sometimes a scratch night will have a theme, other times producers simply select what they consider to be  the strongest pieces submitted. Although the short scripts are pieces for the stage, they're a great way to trial ideas you might be considering for film and TV. And as the audience is partly made up of working producers and directors looking for projects and writers to work with, it's a great place to get your work seen. Plus as much of a screenwriter’s life is spent ‘in development’, having a scratch piece staged is an immediate way of getting your fix of seeing your work produced.

Both emerging and established writers develop work for these nights as they know it's a brilliant way to receive instant feedback. If your short play gets selected and produced, you'll be sat amongst the audience to personally gauge their reaction. This is especially helpful when you're writing comedy or comedy drama as you can literally hear if people find it funny or not. (There's always a bar where you can drown your sorrows if they don't!) At the end of the night the audience fills out a questionnaire on each play, and they often have a lot to say! So you also come away with helpful written feedback. 

The last short play I had scratched is now being developed as a full-length piece. And an excerpt from the latest TV project I'm developing is being performed at XPOSED, a scratch night in London being held this October (after a Covid delay of over a year!). Produced by the wonderful Full Disclosure Theatre, it's a buzzing scratch night that attracts quality actors and directors to produce the plays. So you know your script’s in good hands.

 Knowing how helpful scratch pieces can be when it comes to kickstarting new writers’ careers, we’ve added a new Scratch Night module to BA Screenwriting & Film here at Sheffield Hallam. This means students will be able to write a short play and see it performed by professional actors. Exciting! 

 BBC Writersroom always list scratch night opportunities, so sign up to their bulletins to receive regular notifications or follow them on Twitter. Happy scratching!

 Written by Phil Charles

 Phil is a British Screenwriters' award-winning scriptwriter and senior lecturer on BA (Hons) Screenwriting and Film at Sheffield Hallam University. His new play FLOP will be staged at the Southwark Playhouse London in Oct 2021.