Writers | New Writers Guidelines
Being part of The Treason Show writers team is best described as Darwinian.
The best approach to follow is the scattergun. Write as
many short and topically funny sketches as possible. This will improve
your 'hit rate'. Songs will always stand more of a chance than
sketches, we urge new writers to initially think of trying to write a
song when they get an idea before writing a sketch. We prioritise
parody song writing because it forms the skeleton of the show, then
we go for the sketches, the more topical the better.
Layout of script & submission protocol
- Standard script writing principles are required.
- Double space typed pages.
- Minimum size 12 point in a clear font.
- Send each item separately in WORD format.
- Name of each sketch/song in the e-mail subject field with a copy pasted in the body of e-mail. This is so we can correctly file and edit your material and print efficiently. When writers don't paste into the body of e-mail or type the name of the sketch it gets lost and can lead to writers not being credited or paid correctly.
- (Statement of the bleeding obvious but you would be amazed at how often new writers don't do this) Always put your name on your material. (Durrr!)
- Separate e-mails for each submission. (We get hundreds of submissions per show we have no time to edit your layouts or search through long documents)
- Character names to be separated by tab from the lines they speak. (Basic I know but we still get sketches where the spacing means it's difficult to speed-read in rehearsals and we've abandoned material if we can't clearly differentiate character names and the lines they speak).
- Spelling. Please spell check.
What we like!
- It's funny.
- It's topical.
- It's got a punchline.
NB: You stand more of a chance of getting material in if it's a song.
We love the up tempo pastiche's of modern songs. With sketches if it
doesn't have a punchline it rarely makes the cut. (Although it has
been known!)
Question: "Why doesn't my work get into the show"?
- Hasn't got a punchline (Cardinal rule)
- Too much waffle to get to the end point/punchline
- Not topical (Or funny!)
In the case of songs.
Golden rule must have a parody of the 'hook'.
Tip: The 'Hook' is the part of the song that you remember. Eg: That's Amore = That's Mugabe.
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that... er... thing.
Other factors
- Cast balance. Sometimes the blokes have too much stuff and the girls have hardly anything. So when a great sketch comes in and the blokes are overloaded its harder to put into the show.
- Time constraints, the actors got it too late to learn in time for the show. If it's coming in late keep it SHORT.
- Rehearsal process shows it to be good on paper but not on stage.
- Sometimes it's a great sketch that just doesn't work with the talent at our disposal. Never take rejection personally. As a writer it's part of the process.
- Basically, if you write funny topical sketches with a punchline you'll stand the best chance of getting your material in the show. The Treason Show has a policy of judging all material on it's merits, whether you are a brand new writer or an old hand it's not who you are that counts it's your writing!
Songs
- Parody the hook. (The lyric that you know the song by....eg:)
DRY YOUR EYES MATE (The Streets) into John Prescott singing: TRY SOME PIES MATE
LA TRAVIATA Chav's singing an opera medley: LA CHAVIATA
- Another golden rule. Make sure you put gags in.
- Couplet form is best. Double entendre always works in song form.
- A comedy song should progress with beginning/middle/end like a sketch.
- 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s songs are great for verse/chorus mid 8 / verse / chorus structure. We are happy to have songs from well known musicals.
- We have guitar players in the show and it's a great extra element.
- So singer-songwriter style numbers are always needed.
- 30s and forties numbers are fab too provided they are well known.
- Basically if it's well known it's fair game.
Submitting Material & Pay
Send your material by e-mail to New Submissions
Your material is seen by the script editor that month and the director.
Or if you are a bit of a technophobe, to:
Submissions, The Treason Show, Treason Productions, 115 Western Rd, Brighton. BN1 2AB.
Payment for your material.
Times are tough at the moment and the show is moving to a new smaller venue from January 2010 (The Pavilion Theatre, Brighton) and there are fewer shows so the writers pool is now between £250-£500 (depending on the number of shows per month) and is shared by the writers who get their material into the show. The current average is as follows: (Approximate figures)
Songs £10-20
Sketches £7-15
One-Liners or Captions £1-3
The writers money works on a points value system.
2 points for a song, 1 for a sketch, half a point for a one liner/caption.
If it's a longer show (more material than usual) then it's a lower fee per item.
There is a bonus in the form of the Christmas show.
The Christmas show is a "best of the year show" with some new material thrown in. If you get material into the show during the year and its great, it may be used again in the "best-of". You then get a fab repeat fee so it's worth contributing regularly to the show to stand a better chance of getting material in the "best-of".
You retain copywrite over your material and by sending us your song/sketch/gag etc you are agreeing to license us to perform it when we do the show for as long as the show is running.
The Treason Show pays our writers up to four weeks after the last date of the run. (Eg: We tour after the Brighton shows so payment is made up to 4 weeks after the last show of that particular month). We pay our writers through BACS transfer or cheque. The writers credits are also finalised after the whole run to allow for new material to be credited (and paid for) such as voice-overs or new sketches added for the tour dates. Please don't expect running orders to be final until the administrator has compiled and sent the post show credits.
Running Orders
A running order is sent out by the director during rehearsals and constantly changes and is a work in progress list so that writers have an idea of what's in so far. The definitive one is the one sent out by Carol Kentish (Admin) after the run.
Tips.
- Read it yourself (aloud if possible) and imagine what it's like for a performer to read in a fast moving script rehearsal. If it's a muddle it stands less chance of surviving the read-through.
- Some material we get is just too long, a page is usually enough, if it runs to two, it had better be funny, if it runs to three it's likely to be too long for our show format, unless of course it's the best thing ever written!
- Everything gets read. Your material is judged on its merits. If it's funny and topical it stands the best chance of getting into the show. Please prioritise songs. Unless the show has a strong skeleton (the songs) the rest of your wonderful sketch writing may bomb. So go for them first.
- Oh yes, and............ "Be Funny"
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