Scripts are invited for the Manchester Sitcom Trials, to be performed at the Lass O'Gowrie Manchester on July 2 2011.

THE BRIEF for submission to The Sitcom Trials.

The Sitcom Trials wants situation comedy scripts that a small group of actors can perform in a live environment with minimal stage in front of an audience, who will hopefully laugh. Ideally these sitcoms will be so marvellous that the TV & radio industry representatives in the audience will snap them up immediately.

THE FORMAT:

Your script must have a first 'half' of less than 8 minutes
This first half should end in a cliffhanger, or something that leaves
the audience wanting more.

It must then have a final scene of 2 or 3 minutes long. This will be
performed only if your sitcom is the winner on the night

Your script must have NO MORE THAN 4 CHARACTERS. Ideally 2 boys 2 girls.
If you can write a script with just 2 or 3 characters, all the better.

The sitcoms we are to test out in our regular pub theatre shows with an eye to them being developed for TV must be
PERFORMABLE LIVE (ie no filmed or location inserts)
&
ON ONE MINIMAL SET.

Think in terms of a radio script.

WRITER-PERFORMERS - INCLUDE YOUTUBE DEMO

We are particularly interested to hear from writer-performers, especially
those with an on-stage track record (eg Edinburgh) who would present their
own sitcom as a self contained package. To demonstrate your live potential we would need to see a video, ideally a link to a YouTube video, which we can judge alongside the script. Please include the video link as part of the script.

UPLOAD SCRIPTS TO THE FILES:

Upload your entries to the appropriate folder in the files section of the egroup. You will need to join the free egroup to do so: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SitsVac/files/

Deadline for entries - June 19 2011
Deadline for voting - June 26 2011

VOTING

All members of the SitsVac egroup, you included, will be invited to read, review, and vote on all scripts in contention. Vote YES, MAYBE or NO as to each one's potential and add a short one paragraph review. Send reviews to the Sits Vac TV group message board: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SitsVac/

Vote at polls: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SitsVac/polls

Writers are welcome to vote on their own scripts.

Votes are then totalled thus; Yes = 2 points, Maybe = 1 point, No = minus -1 point. This way we draw up a shortlist for a script reading, from which we select the items to go into the stage show.

Any questions, ask the egroup so we can all benefit from the answers.

Happy scribbling

Kev F Sutherland
Producer and Presenter
THE SITCOM TRIALS http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

So now we have a competition for less than an eight minute sitcom script? 'Ideally these sitcoms will be so marvellous that the TV & radio industry representatives in the audience will snap them up immediately.'

Yeah.

Tut! Such cynicism!

Quote: Griff @ March 24 2011, 9:57 PM GMT

Sell it to us Kev! What might writers hope to gain from entering Sitcom Trials Manchester 2011?

'Seeing eight minutes of their work on stage' is a perfectly acceptable answer, but anything else?

Also you mention "the TV and Radio representatives in the audience". Tell us a bit more about that.

View original

You are spot on, Griff. The writers can hope to see eight minutes of their work on stage.

As when the show began, this one-off Sitcom Trials gives the writers and performers an opportunity to test out their comedy writing in front of a live comedy audience, something from which they will hopefully benefit and which they and the crowd will enjoy.

It is entirely conceivable that no-one from the TV or the radio will come. Unlike the more recent tournament versions of the London Sitcom Trials and the Sitcom Mission, which have developed into top notch industry showcases and now have the direct participation of a major TV production company, the Sitcom Trials in Manchester will just be a comedy show, like the stand-up shows we all go to every week, trying to be funny and make people laugh.

This is the second Manchester Sitcom Trials, part of Lass Fest, a weekend of comedy at the Lass O'Gowrie. Last year's show achieved its aim of filling a room with people and making them laugh, and we hope to repeat that this year.

Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

Is voting open to all 1400 members of the SitsVac group, or just to those that submit scripts?

I'm not understanding the site Kev. There seem to be three scripts entered but you can't read them. I could only find them on the poll forum. And I can't get how you are supposed to upload a script

Quote: Mr Ashdown @ March 25 2011, 1:51 PM GMT

Is voting open to all 1400 members of the SitsVac group, or just to those that submit scripts?

View original

In theory all 1400 members can vote, but in practice they won't because that group has lain dormant for so long most have evaporated. But, yes, more than just the authors can vote.

Quote: bushbaby @ March 25 2011, 2:14 PM GMT

I'm not understanding the site Kev. There seem to be three scripts entered but you can't read them. I could only find them on the poll forum. And I can't get how you are supposed to upload a script

View original

The scripts in the poll section are just dummies that I put up there to demonstrate what the poll will look like when set up. In practice it may be simpler than what you see there. As of yet*, I don't think there are any actual scripts uploaded for real.

Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

* I apologise for using the phrase "as of yet". It is an ugly phrase, isn't it?

OK

I've just been asked: are Australians allowed to enter.

Yes they are.

Kev F

I shall be certain to enter a script for this. 8 minutes though, I thought a 15 minute sitcom script was challenging, 8 minutes is pretty brief.

Still, nothing wrong with a challenge!

FAQ:

I've been asked a few questions, so here are answers:

Q: Can I enter from Australia?
A: Yes

Q: Can I enter more than one script?
A: Yes

Q: What format?
A: Word or PDF

Keep those entries coming.

Kev F Sutherland http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

Congratulations to Bushbaby on being the first person to enter a script into the Manchester Sitcom Trials. Any more for any more?

The mechanism for reading, reviewing and voting on scripts will be explained soon. In the meantime, you are welcome to read any of the scripts that are entered. Bring on the rest.

Kev F http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

PS: You might have missed these on the other thread so, for a laugh, a quick game of Sitcom Trials Snap.

Saturday Night Live cast 1976:

Sitcom Trials cast 2002:

Scripts and cast welcome, deadline June 2011 http://sitcomtrials.co.uk

Can it have a dog in it?

Quote: BuryBob @ April 8 2011, 9:08 AM BST

Can it have a dog in it?

View original

Can't see why not. Is it a speaking part? That'd be rough.

Kev F

A talking dog? Where do you think we are, Wigan?

Sounds like a perfect opportunity to try an idea I've had sat under the apple tree for a good few months. The dog question was just to make sure you weren't a robot, or caniophobic.

Thanks.