The Script Yorkshire radio drama competition 2025
The submissions window for our annual radio competition is now open! You'll need to be a current member of Script Yorkshire to enter, so make sure your subs are up to date and that you've joined our members-only SY Chat Group to find out where to submit your entry.
Please scroll down this page to scrutinise the full brief and find useful links to guide you on your mission if this is your first time writing for radio. Scroll down even further to hear our previous winners if you need a little inspiration.
Looking forward to reading your scripts!
PRIZE
3 x winning plays will be...
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Recorded by professional actors
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Produced for broadcast on Chapel FM
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Published here on our website
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Sent to winners in .mp3 format
CRITERIA
We're looking for...
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Exciting original stories that exploit the radio medium.
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Cracking characterisation and dialogue
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A skilful command of this demanding short form of scriptwriting.
ENTER
You'll need to...
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be a fully paid-up member of Script Yorkshire to enter
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write a 5-minute radio script for no more than 3 actors
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number your pages, as well as every line on each page as per this layout example
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NOT put your name or contact details anywhere on your script. Anonymity = unbiased judging
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time your piece to make sure it's really 5 minutes long!
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email your script to our submissions co-ordinator by the extended deadline of Sunday 16th November. We post the email address in our members-only SY Chat group.
SELECTION
Experienced Script Yorkshire radio-drama writers Sharon Oakes and Jonathan Hall will read all the entries and select a short-list of 10.
Everyone who enters will receive written feedback.
The 10 finalists’ plays will be sent to erstwhile BBC radio producer Marion Nancarrow, who will select 3 winning scripts for us to produce.
PREP
Never written for radio?
Never fear: swot up on your script skills with Auntie Beeb!
The BBC Writers Room website has loads of great scripts you can study before you start.
And, of course, there's always plenty of fantastic radio drama to listen to. Just scout around on BBC Sounds.
LISTEN TO OUR PAST WINNERS' PLAYS...
The Nose Knows
by Sarah Carratt
A woman's life choices worry her best friend.
Item of Interest
by Wendy Calvert
A couple's curiosity gets the better of them when an estranged relative dies.
Facing Up
by Jacky Burton
A moment of reckoning for a burnt out call centre advisor.
A Head for Business
by E.D. Arundale
A chilled tale about a very unusual inheritance...
Music: This is Halloween by Universfield from Free Music Archive license CC BY-SA.
The Caller
by Maggie Graham
A phone call stops a young man in his tracks.
Music: Opus One by Tim Carleton and Darrick Deel.
Good Going Underfoot
by Alice Collins
A day at the races brings back memories and makes headline news.
With special thanks to Marta Kapica and Jack Pitfield.
Leek & Brimstone
by Saeth Wheeler
A stirring tale involving a supernatural starter.
The Applicant
by John Hunter
A job interview puts a young woman's nerve to the test.
Music by: Bensound
License code: GP7UQP50D838T0S1
Are You a Good Man, Mr Pollard?
by Stephen Brennan
A teenage islander encounters a stranger on the radio.
Playing With My Heart
by Jacqueline Saville
A spectral encounter brings new hope for an estranged couple.
Spare
by Erin Revell
Ever wondered what happens at home while you're out at work?
We Were The Singers
by Paul Joe Osborne
Emotions run high when a teenage prophetess predicts her own death.
Yellow Vision
by Tom Jordan
OAPs with artistic differences pay a visit to the National Gallery.
Bangers and Mash and Infidelity
by Jacob Welby
A decidedly different dinner-table debate!
Blackout
by Kat Rose-Martin
Painting the town a darker shade of red...
Cut Up
by Pete Goodland
A boy's life changes after a flash of steel.
Homing
by Jackie Daly
A viewing leads to a blast from the past.
Mistaken Identity
by Richard Kay
A reimagining of a remarkable true story.
Red in Tooth and Claw
by Sarah Carratt
Doorstep sales in a dog-eat-dog world.
Use of '52-Bar Bossa under Creative Commons Public license courtesy of R1772 and wikiloops.com.
Radio not your bag? Try Page to Stage or Script Factor instead!