WELLINGTON DRAMA FESTIVAL RULES
The Wellington Drama Festival is an open festival for one act and full length plays presented by adult companies and youth groups. Participating teams are welcome from Shropshire and beyond.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
1. Each entry must be submitted by the due date and accompanied by:
a. The official entry forms fully completed
b. A published copy of the actual script. Electronic copies are not allowed unless proved to be the only way of providing a script. The script will be sent to the adjudicator and will be returned at the end of the festival.
c. Any proposed alterations to the text of the script, which are acceptable only if accompanied by the author’s written permission
d. The appropriate non-refundable entry fee (£40 full length entry / £20 one act entry payable to “Wellington Theatre Company”)
2. Each participating team must send at least one representative to the awards ceremony on the final night
3. The necessary royalty payment for the performance of each play is the responsibility of the entrant and a copy of the performance licence must be submitted to the festival organiser by the due date.
4. Entrants are responsible for ensuring for themselves that any necessary music rights have been obtained from phonographic performance ltd and/or the performing rights society. The Festival Organiser reserves the right to see such licences if required.
5. No group consisting of full time performing arts students may enter the festival competitively.
6. Each team must supply a suitable raffle prize (e.g. a bottle of wine or box of chocolates).
GENERAL RULES ON ENTRY
7. Each one act play must have a running time between 20 and 59 minutes (and if lasting 60 minutes or more will be re-assigned to the full length section). Each full length play must last between 60 minutes and 3 hours. Running times are from the opening to the final curtain-closing or blackout. Opening / theme setting music is excluded.
8. The festival committee shall have the right refuse any entry. Entrants will be notified in writing and their entry will be returned.
10. All entrants will be subject to the provisions of The Theatres Act 1968.
11. Only amateur entrants (including producers/directors) will be adjudicated. Anyone holding an equity card is held to be a professional. Any professional involvement must be declared at the point of entry.
12. No team may use recorded speech, projection or TV material without written consent.
13. There shall be a section for adult productions and a section for youth productions, in which the cast is comprised entirely of young people who have not attained the age of 19 years on the opening night of the festival. Ages and birth dates must be declared on the appropriate entry form. Specific
child parts in an adult play may of course be played by children of the appropriate age.
14. No part of a performance may be recorded, filmed or televised without written consent of the appropriate authority. No part of the adjudication may be recorded, filmed or televised without the permission of the adjudicator.
15. Photography is prohibited.
16. No team shall be allowed to enter the same work in the festival more than once in a period of 5 years.
17. Whilst every effort is made to accommodate specific requests, each team must be prepared to perform on the date and time appointed by the Festival Organiser.
18. In the event of an entry having to withdraw, the Festival Organiser must be informed in writing or by e-mail immediately. Deposits will be forfeited.
TECHNICAL RULES
19. All teams must nominate their own stage manager to liaise with the festival technical manager on all matters concerning their production.
20. Each team must send their stage manager to the viewing day at the agreed time slot. All other members of the team are welcome to attend.
21. Each team will provide its own lighting and sound personnel who will be responsible for the operation of technical aspects of their performance under the guidance of the Festival Effects Manager.
22. Nominated personnel of each team will be responsible for the opening and closing of the stage curtains under the supervision of the Festival Effects Manager.
23. All staging details and lighting plots shall be submitted in writing to the festival technical manager on the viewing day.
24. The provision of hand props and costumes shall be the responsibility of the competing teams.
25. Competing teams shall be responsible for setting, decorating and striking their own sets on the day of production. The setting and striking of sets must be carried out in the time allocated by the Festival Technical Manager. One act entries are allowed 10 minutes to set and 5 minutes to strike. Times for full length productions must be agreed with the Festival Technical Manager.
26. Smoking is not permitted in any part of the theatre. The only exception to the non-smoking rule is when a performance requires smoking as part of the plot. Approval to smoke must be obtained from the festival technical manager for each performance. Smoking under these circumstances can only take place during performances when the Festival Technical Manager is present. The team’s stage manager must take charge of the situation and ensure that the
persons acting dispose of their material properly and carry out a fire watch for at least 30 minutes after it is extinguished.
GENERAL RULES
27. All persons wishing to enter the auditorium for a performance, including the awards night, must buy a ticket. Competing teams technical crew (maximum of 4 persons) are allowed complimentary tickets for the performance of their entry.
28. The cast of one-act plays are allowed complimentary tickets to see other performances on the same night.
29. Once a performance has begun latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium until the next available interval.
30. The Festival Organiser cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any costumes, props, furniture or personal effects belonging to visiting teams or for any personal injury to any members of these teams.
31. The Festival Organiser shall resolve any matters concerning the interpretation of these rules or any other matter concerning the festival, and the decision shall be final.
32. Visiting teams must familiarise themselves with the fire and safety arrangements in the theatre. In the event of an evacuation of the theatre the team’s stage manager will be responsible for providing a list of all personnel working back stage and for marshalling them with the assistance of theatre staff to the assembly point in the car park.
33. There is no fire alarm system in the theatre at present. Warning of the need for a full evacuation will be given by the continuous ringing of the theatre’s interval bell.
34. Alcoholic drinks may only be consumed in the theatre if purchased at the theatre bar to comply with local licence laws.
AWARDS
35. Trophies are awarded by the adjudicator, based on his/her marks.
36. Three trophies are reserved for youth productions.
37. Three trophies are reserved for adult productions.
38. Eight trophies are open to both youth and adult productions.
39. Trophies can only be removed once an adult signature has been accepted by the Festival Organiser.
40. Trophies awarded at the festival are the responsibility of the person who signed for them.
41. Teams are responsible for engraving their own trophies where appropriate.
42. All trophies must be returned to the theatre by the viewing date of the following years festival in an undamaged state and a receipt obtained.
43. The Festival Organiser reserves the right to purchase replacement trophies if not returned by the due date and recover the amount from the team.
ADJUDICATIONS
44. Some adjudicators are prepared to give written adjucations. Teams wishing to have these must make their own arrangements with the adjudicator in advance via the Festival Organiser. These are chargeable.
45. The adjudicator will announce the names of the groups and individuals who are to be awarded trophies but he will neither publicly divulge the marks, nor indicate the complete order of merit of the teams.
46. The adjudicator will use as a guide the following system of marking:
Acting 40
Production 35
Stage presentation 15
Endeavour, originality and theatrical entertainment 10
47. The adjudicators decision will be final.
(REVISED 01/10/22)