A dedicated Scratch night for Shaftesbury, connecting writers with audiences.
Welcome to the
Back Room
Next Scratch:
Wednesday 16th September
The King's Arms, Bleke Street,
Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8JZ.
Actors and directors 6pm/Audience 8pm
Free admission.
Come early to grab a drink and find a seat!
Our Scratch nights are
held on the 3rd Wednesday
of each month in the back
room of a Shaftesbury pub.
NEW!
Shaftesbury Theatre Company and Back Room Theatre present a new writing Scratch Festival for Shaftesbury.
<^> Saturday 28th November <^>
The Festival will build on the success of the Back Room Theatre Scratch Nights whilst creating a unique event for Shaftesbury Arts Centre that encourages new writing and provides a genuine opportunity for scripts to progress from an early idea to a fully realised production.
There will be
two showcases...
Youth New Writing Scratch Festival (2pm-5pm)
Adult New Writing Scratch Festival (7pm-10pm)
Up to six pieces will be selected for each showcase, with the audience voting for:
The Development Award
Standout Actor Performance
But this is about more than one night…
'A pathway from
scratch performance
to full production.'
The winner of The Development Award will have the opportunity to work with Shaftesbury Arts Centre and Back Room Theatre to further develop their script, with the potential, where appropriate, for it to become a fully staged production at Shaftesbury Arts Centre.
You can submit:
• An extract from a full-length play in development
• A complete short play with potential to become a full-length work
Pieces should be no more than 15 minutes when performed.
Submissions close Wednesday 30 September 2026.
Please email stage@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk