Rules For The Woking One-Act Play Festival

1. The Festival is open to teams from any organisation that concerns itself with the presentation of dramatic work. The organisation may use a professional producer whose services are financially compensated. The cast of the play must consist entirely of amateurs.  For the avoidance of doubt, the term “amateur” will refer to an actor who, during the previous twelve months leading up to the performance, has not been featured in a stage, film or television production performed or presented by “a for  profit organisation” where the actor has had a speaking role, or where they have received a credit either in the souvenir programme or on the film/television production’s final credit roll.

2. An organisation may enter more than one team.

3. The cast shall consist of not less than two players having speaking parts and the total number of non-speaking members shall be subject to approval by the Festival Stage Director.

4. The play chosen may be either complete or an extract from a play.  No organisation may enter competitively a play or extract if the play has been publicly performed on the Festival stage in the previous month.

5. Each play must run not less than 20 minutes and not more than 60 minutes. The 60 minutes maximum time includes any time spent in changing a scene during the course of the performance, but does not include the setting and striking times as laid down in Rule 6.

6. A maximum of 10 minutes will be allowed for setting the stage for each entry and a maximum of 5 minutes for striking.  It will be the responsibility of each team to ensure that curtains are opened and closed at the proper time and that scenery is correctly positioned and the set struck within the allowed time.

7. Infringement of the time limits laid down in Rules 5 and 6 will incur a penalty of 2 marks per minute or part minute.

8. All items of scenery and properties must be approved beforehand by the Festival Stage Director. Infringement of this rule may incur penalties and, in particular, infringement of Surrey County Council safety rules may incur disqualification.

9. A lighting plot must be submitted. Lighting with technicians to operate the board will be provided by the Organisers.

10. Sound equipment will be available. Operation during the performance or provision of additional equipment is the entire responsibility of the entering team.

11. The Organisers' decision on the order of performance or any matter arising from the rules or on any subject connected with the Festival is final.