Youth Theatre Festival

Rules

1. The work offered by any entrant must be (a) a one act play; (b) an extract from a longer play provided that this extract is intelligible to a member of the audience who has not seen the play from which it is taken; or (c) some other form of theatrical performance (spoken or printed synopses are not permissible).

2. A Group may submit more than one entry although a limit may need to be set on the number of entries if they cannot all be accommodated within the Festival’s performance sessions.

3. Each entry must be at least 18 minutes in length but may not exceed the time of 45 minutes in performance, including any time spent in changing a scene in the course of that performance (but not including the specified times for setting and striking the whole production referred to in Rule 4 below).

4. No scenery may take more than 10 minutes to set and 5 minutes to strike. These times are additional to the playing time allowed in Rule 3 above.

5. The actors/actresses must be under the age of 19 years at the time of the performance.

6. At each Festival, the responsible Committee will appoint an official timekeeper and a stage manager, whose decision on all back stage matters shall be final and binding on all participating Groups.

7. All entrants will be subject to the provisions of the Theatres Act 1968, and will be deemed to have full knowledge of the provisions of this Act and the liabilities thereunder concerning the performance of plays which might be considered obscene, seditious or libellous or likely to incite racial hatred or a breach of the peace.

8. If the entry is subject to copyright, it is the Group’s responsibility to see that the Author’s permission is obtained for performance, and that the royalty is paid in advance. The Festival Secretary will welcome sight of the Royalty Licence. If the text has been altered in any way for the performance, proof of the Author’s permission may be called for.

9. Each Group is required to produce, by the closing date of entry of the Festival, a copy of its entry (in the version to be performed) or if the entry is an improvisation, a synopsis, for the use of the adjudicator. This copy will be returned to the Group after the Festival.

10. Scenery and properties of all descriptions and any special lighting equipment required for their production, must be provided by the Groups themselves. The use of such material is subject to the sanctions of the Committee.

11. All Groups may, where permission has been obtained from the responsible Committee, bring such additional scenery as is considered essential for the production. Entrants should remember that the best setting will be the one which most imaginatively presents the chosen work in the Theatre. Box sets (ie completely enclosed sets constructed of flats standing independent of and unrelated to the curtain surround and/or cyclorama) are not permissible.

12. Groups must give advance notice to the responsible Committee if they propose to use, at their own expense, additional lighting equipment ie supplementary floods, spots etc., and also if their entry requires unusual effects of naked lights, pistol shots etc. If it is found necessary to place limits on the proposals of Groups in regard to such effects, the Groups will be notified by the responsible Committee, whose decision will be final.

13. An electrician appointed by the organising Committee (usually the Theatre’s own) will be responsible for the control of the switchboard and lighting equipment. The producer of each Group or other nominated person, may have full liaison with the Festival’s electrician.

14. It will be the responsibility of each Group to see that the lights are correctly set, that the curtain is raised and lowered at the proper time, that scenery is correctly positioned and is set and struck within the allotted times.

15. The adjudicator will deliver a public adjudication on each entry appearing at the Festival. His/her duty is to provide constructive criticism which will help both the Groups and the audience.

16. The adjudicator will be requested to allocate marks as follows:-
Acting - 50
Endeavour, Originality and Theatrical Attainment - 50
Directors should bear in mind that the choice of material for this Festival is very important. Young actors should be given the opportunity to show their skills in material that does not consist entirely of mime or narration or is heavily dependent on production techniques. Work using modern methods such as ‘total theatre’ are welcomed and encouraged but should stress the work of the young actors themselves rather than that of the director. Entries which do not give young people the opportunity to perform using dialogue, stage movement and inter-reaction between characters cannot be adjudicated on the agreed Festival criteria.

17. The adjudicator’s decision shall be final.

Jan 04