The fifth annual Platform Presents West End Gala is a night of Theatrical Consequences with seven writers creating separate scenes for a hilarious new play-about-making-a-play.
The game of Consequences – drawing an image, turning over the page to hide it and passing it on – often ends in astonishing and eye-wateringly funny results.
Now inspired by this “What will happen next?” children’s game, and for a one night only fundraising gala evening at the Savoy Theatre on Monday 15 May, 2023, Oliver Chris (‘Trying’, ‘Motherland’, ‘The Office’, ‘One Man Two Guvnors’) will direct a play-about-making-a-play where everything that can go wrong does.
Seven writers working in isolation will collaborate on one script. They will be briefed on the entire plot, the characters and what happens in their scene – but will not be able to read the scene before or after theirs!
Confirmed writers so far are:
Peter Fellows (‘Veep’, ‘Avenue 5’, The Death of Stalin’),
Helen Kingston (‘Half Bad’, ‘The Flood’),
David Mumeni (writer of ‘I’m Not That Kind of Guy’, Cem in the multi-BAFTA winning Channel 4
comedy series, ‘Stath Lets Flats’),
Isaac Tomiczek (Time Out Runner Up, Playwright’s Prize 2022)
Manjinder Virk (‘Midsomer Murders’, ‘Out of Darkness’, ‘Glow’), with two more to be announced.
The cast will be announced in the coming months. Previous actors for the Platform Presents Gala have included Bessie Carter, David Mumeni, Denise Gough, Dougray Scott, George Mackay, Genevieve O’Reilly, Indira Varma, Iwan Rheon, Jack Farthing, Jade Anouka, Juliet Stevenson, Lizzy Connolly, Nicholas Burns, Nicholas Pinnock, Oliver Chris, Pearl Mackie, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Robert Bathurst, Rosalie Craig, Ronni Ancona, Sally Phillips, Tobias Menzies, Tuppence Middleton, Tamzin Outhwaite, Tracy Ann Oberman.
This evening of comedy is the fifth annual fundraiser to raise money for the Ambassador Theatre Group Playwright’s Prize in association with Platform Presents, with five Runners-Up prizes supported by Time Out. It promises to be one of the best fun nights out in the West End.
The Playwright’s Prize was founded in 2018 by non-profit Platform Presents CIC to nurture and
provide more opportunities for playwrights. In the first year 176 scripts were submitted. Last year, in its fourth year, 1,174 scripts were submitted and Platform Presents partnered with one of the leading live entertainment companies in the world, Ambassador Theatre Group, on the prize re-naming it the Ambassador Theatre Group Playwright’s Prize in association with Platform Presents. Also in 2022 international city media brand Time Out partnered with Platform Presents and Finite Films to announce five new prizes for Runners-Up. Ambassador Theatre Group and Time Out are confirmed to partner again this year.
The annual prize and fundraiser is co-produced with Finite Films & TV, founded by Amy Gardner, and judged by a high profile group of industry experts. The winner receives £5,000 and mentoring to bring their play to stage and or screen. The five Runners-Up each receive £1,000.
Mark Cornell, CEO of Ambassador Theatre Group said: “Storytelling is our craft, visceral experiences is our area of expertise. This prize and the ‘Theatrical Consequences’ Gala are the perfect vehicles to raise funds to support rising star talent.”
Writers who wish to enter the prize can submit full or partial scripts of up to 10,000 words directly onto the website www.platformpresents.com * until midday on May 15th 2023.
Tickets for Theatrical Consequences at the Savoy theatre are on sale today.
