SE Fest is back!
The Jack Studio and The Bridge House Theatre collaborate for the third year to create a festival that promotes and celebrates new writing.
SE Fest 2026 dates: Tuesday 1st – Saturday 12th September 2025.
Submissions are NOW CLOSED. We’ll announce this year’s programme in late June!
SE Fest gives companies the unique opportunity to perform at both venues during the festival fortnight.
What we’re looking for:
- SE Fest is passionate about plays that engage with how we live today.
- We’re looking for new work, so all scripts submitted by companies should not have been publicly performed more than three times prior to their performances in SE Fest 2026.
- All productions must be socially conscious and demonstrate how they provide opportunities for, or representation of, underrepresented groups including, but not limited to: Working class artists, Artists from the Global Majority, Non-binary or gender fluid artists, LGBTQ+ Artists.
- The theatres’ artistic teams and SE Fest reading panel will read your applications and confirm the work to be programmed in late June.
More details:
Each programmed company has three consecutive performances during the festival. Your performances take place at both theatres, with two at one venue and one at the alternate venue.
Evening performances start at 7.30pm, with Saturday matinees at 3pm.
Performances should last between 50 and 90 minutes.
What we offer companies
We offer companies the opportunity to be part of a vital festival of new writing, with the support of two experienced, award-winning teams.
With the support of Arts Council England, for eight programmed companies SE Fest 2026 offers:
- 70/30 box office split in companies’ favour
- £500 contribution to each company to help offset your travel and practical production costs
- Technician at each venue to programme your sound and lights, and to operate your shows (you may bring your own operator if you wish)
- Professional dramaturgical support. We’re thrilled to partner with AH HA! Dramaturgy who will provide individual feedback on your script prior to performances
- Box office staff for each performance and ticketing updates.
- All programmed companies are invited to a Festival Network Event, to meet other creatives taking part
- If you’d like, we can film your production too!
Publicity
- We will design and print a Festival brochure featuring your production and have copies for you
- We will contact the press with a listings line-up and invite press to review your show, should you wish
- Your production will be listed on the theatres’ websites and will also be promoted in our venue e-shots and social media posts.
How to apply?
- Applications are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted for SE Fest 2026!
For full Ts & Cs please click here.
Timelines and what’s next?
- Applications for SE Fest closed on Friday 15th May. We cannot accept submissions received after this date.
- We will be in touch with companies we are programming towards the end of June. At this point we will confirm the dates of your performances.
Workshops. We will run also three workshops during SE Fest which are open to all, and which give practical insights and advice on bringing your work to the stage. Dates and venues to be announced shortly.
Application form: to apply please click here
We look forward to hearing from you!
Contact form
If you have any questions, please use the SE Fest contact form to be in touch. This is the best way to contact both venues about the festival.
To contact us about SE Fest, please click here
Technical and Practical info:
- The Bridge House Theatre and Jack Studio Theatre are 50 seat award-winning studio spaces. For more info on each venue, please visit our websites:
https://thebridgehousetheatre.co.uk / https://brockleyjack.co.uk/ - During the Festival there will be a fixed rig in place, which is the same at both venues.
- Each company will be allotted eight hour’s get-in time (10am-6pm) before their first evening performance.
- We’ll arrange a production meeting (online or in person) before your get-in. We’re here to help!
- Your get-out will take place directly after your last performance at each venue.
Press for SE Fest 2024/ 2025:
‘Spin Cycle, written by Zophia Zerphy and directed by Bethan Rose is a seriously refreshing show on queer love, whirring memory and finding the truth in it all, an absolute triumph to watch.’ A Young(ish) Persepctive on Spin Cycle
‘The writing from Wendy Fisher is sharp with well observed humour and a clear eye for the manoeuvres used in toxic relationships… This is a well worked out classical tragedy’ Plays to See on It Never Rains
‘Vernon, Bates or both pour their heart out without showy theatrics and confront issues that are seldom talked about openly. Brave and insightful.’ Everything Theatre on Vernon
‘At its heart this is an entertaining, compelling, play about young women finding the confidence to live the independent lives they want to without being unhealthily dependent on relationships with men for self-validation. It’s a worthwhile message.’ Susan Elkin on How to Date
‘SE Fest is providing a vital space for powerful, fresh voices and queer joy in London’s theatre scene, and you don’t want to miss a minute of it’ A Young(ish) Persepective
‘moving and original’ London Pub Theatres on At Least I’m Not Bald
‘It is not often that the first performance of a new work is as assured as this. Davison is one to watch as performer and writer.’ British Theatre Guide on Bairns
‘Cathal really knows how to put the fun in funeral.’ British Theatre Guide on Dead Named
‘a wickedly funny piece that speaks to the heart’ A Young(ish) Perspective on Bairns
‘can be summed up in one word, phenomenal’ Everything Theatre on I, Victor
‘At its heart this is a feminist play which poses some serious questions about the nature of heroism’ London Pub Theatres on That Witch Helen
‘On the basis of this show, Eyres is somebody to watch in years to come, with her original take on difficult subjects with humour and versatility.’ Breaking the Fourth Wall on Dani’s Inferno
