New Play Contest

Applications are now closed for the 2025 New Play Contest.

The New Play Contest is for playwrights with a new, previously unproduced play. This contest has been created to provide an opportunity for new works that are at a point in development where they are ready to be produced at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival.

Prize

The winner of the New Play Contest will receive a free performance slot in the upcoming Toronto Fringe Festival (July 2-13, 2025) as well as a bursary. 

New Play Contest is generously sponsored by Neville Austin. When you win the new play contest, you are awarded Neville’s Nudge, a cash prize of $1500 to help set your play on its way.

Timeline

• Tuesday, Oct 1: Submissions open
• Monday, Oct 21: First Deadline
• Monday, Oct 28: Final Deadline (Submission form closes at 11:59 PM)
• Dec 2: Winners of contests notified
• Early December: Winners announced at Fringe Lottery Party

Applications will be assessed as they are received. It is highly encouraged to submit your application by October 21 if possible, but applications will be accepted up until 11:59 PM October 28. 

Application Fees

$15/$25/$35 application fee including HST, paid by credit card through the online application form.

(*Non-Sufficient Funds: If fee is returned the applicant will be informed and have 24 hours to pay the fee as well as any service fees incurred)

The application fee contributes towards the administrative costs of these contests. If this fee presents a barrier to you, please reach out to us via email to suzanne@fringetoronto.com. 

Play Contests Terms & Conditions:

1. All applicants must be a permanent resident of Canada and based in Ontario.
2. More than one entry per playwright/composer is permitted. 
3. All works must be submitted in English. 
4. All entries must be original, unproduced works. Works that have had a workshop for the purpose of creation and development are eligible.
5. The playwright may have received funding to create or workshop this piece. 
6. All plays must have a performance time of 90 minutes or less. 
7. Playwrights who enter a contest may also enter the Fringe lottery. 
8. If selected, the winner must produce the play that was submitted to the corresponding contest for the next soonest Toronto Fringe Festival. It is understood that the piece will be subject to revisions/dramaturgical changes in the usual course of continued development. 
9. The winning production will also be required to recognize the Toronto Fringe on all their marketing materials (program, posters, brochures, press release, website, etc). Specific details of this recognition to follow. 
10. The winning production will also be required to recognize all sponsors/partners of the competition on all their marketing materials (specific details of this recognition to follow).
11. The winner must provide a short post-festival report on the contest, production, and festival experience. 
12. The winning plays will be announced each year at the Fringe Festival Lottery Party held in December. 

Application Materials

The application consists of a short, online form where you can upload materials and pay the application fee. If an alternative application method is required, please email suzanne@fringetoronto.com.

1. Completed draft of script with all pages numbered. 
2. The first phase of the assessment process is anonymous, please ensure that the playwright’s name is not on the script. 
3. Show Title  
4. Estimate running time (a maximum of 90 min) 
5. Brief statement about your producing experience, producing team and why your play would be successful at the Toronto Fringe. (only visible to the assessment committee on phase 2 of the adjudication process) 
6. An application fee of either $15, $25 or $35, paid by credit card through the online application form. 

Selection Process

This contest is adjudicated by approximately four assessment committee members and undergoes two rounds of adjudication. Due to the specific requirements of a slot in the upcoming Fringe Festival, the second adjudication round will not be anonymous and producing experience will also be considered by the assessment committee. Round 1 will be adjudicated anonymously and be based on the script and music samples provided. 

Round 1: All applications are divided equally between the jurors. Each juror selects a shortlist of which applications to advance to round 2.  

Round 2: Each application in the shortlist is reviewed by every committee member, and they come together in a final meeting to select the winning application. To give the winning piece the best possible chance of success, in this round, the committee will take into consideration the whole company experience behind the show.

Each application is assessed against the following criteria:

• artistic merit  
• innovation  
• script coherence   
• suitability of the script for a Fringe producing platform and audience
• the work must be no longer than 90 mins and no less than 45 mins.  
• the work must be a completed piece 
• producing experience 

Access

The Toronto Fringe is committed to equality, diversity, and prioritizing accessibility. We warmly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities, 2SLGBTQ+ identified persons as well as Deaf, Mad and disability-identified persons.

If you require any accommodations, please do not hesitate to contact Suzanne Wilkie (suzanne@fringetoronto.com).

Click Here to Apply Now

Download these eligibility and guidelines as a PDF.

Past Winners

"POZ" by Mark Keller (2024)
"Maggie Chun's First Love and Last Wedding" by Helen Ho (2023)
"My Korean Canadian Friend" by Ngọc Hân (Rebecca) Tran (2021, Digital New Play Contest)
"9428" by Amin Kheirollahizadehshirazi (2020, deferred to 2022)
“Checkpoint 300” by Michelle Wise (2019)
“Women of the Fur Trade” by Frances Koncan (2018)
“The Seat Next to the King” by Steven Jackson (2017)
“Cam Baby” by Jessica Moss (2016)
“Rukmini’s Gold” by Radha Menon (2015)
“Potosi” by Alexander Offord (2014)
”The Oak Room” by Peter Genoway (2013)
“Help Yourself” by Kat Sandler (2012)
“Kim’s Convenience” by Ins Choi (2011)
“Short Story Long”  by joel fishbane (2010)
"A Singularity of Being” by T. Berto (2009)
“Wake” by Rachel Blair (2008)
“Expiry Dating” by Alison Broverman (2007)
“Love Songs from Unlikely Places” by David Egan (2006)
“Bella Donna” by David Copelin (2005)
“Stealing Freedom” by Stephanie Nickerson (2004)
“That Boy” by Paul Gibson (2003)
“Fish/Wife” by Rick Roberts (2002)

2025 New Play Contest Jury Members