FIRST ROUNDS AND QUARTER FINALS
These are the festivals taking place in the 2025-2026 season. Why not enter one or more of them right now?
NOTE: Those marked with '*' are also affiliated to the National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA)
NORTHERN AREA FESTIVALS
ISLE OF MAN *
(preliminary round)
18th - 19th April 2026
Nantwich Players Theatre, Nantwich
Contact:
sandielaughlin@btinternet.com
Adjudicator: Ruth Cattell
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Red Onion with "Tigers" by
Brian Hutchinson
~
22nd - 26th February 2026
Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight
Contact:
Adjudicator: Sue Doherty
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Curious Imposter with "Killing Time"
~
HULL & EAST RIDING
(preliminary round)
17th - 18th March 2026
Bridlington Spa, Bridlington
Contact:
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
~
DURHAM AND SUNDERLAND
(preliminary round)
4th - 7th March 2026
Royalty Theatre, Sunderland
Contact:
Adjudicator: David Bennet
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Royalty Theatre with "The Son Will Always Shine" by Billy Towers
~
SALTBURN
(preliminary round)
9th - 13th March 2026
Saltburn Community Theatre
Contact:
Adjudicator: Rebekah Fortune Smith
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Saltburn 53 with "Last Orders" by Mr A K Blackmore
~
CHESHIRE *
(preliminary round)
LEVERHULME *
(preliminary round)
The qualifying teams from the NORTHERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
go through to the NORTHERN AREA SEMI FINAL
CENTRAL AREA FESTIVALS
HEREFORD *
(preliminary round)
19th - 21st March 2026
Market Theatre, Ledbury
Contact:
Adjudicator: Sonia Woolley
Winning through to the Quarter Final are
Ledbury Amateur Dramatic Society with “The Ballad of Maria Marten -Act One" by Beth Flintoff
and
The Norbury Players with “Lockdown in Little Grimley” by David Tristram
~
WORCESTERSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
11th - 12th April 2026
Norbury Theatre, Droitwich
Contact:
Adjudicator: Bev Clark
Winning through to the Quarter Final are
Wordsley ADS with "Hamlet (Act III) by William Shakespeare
and
Theatre 282 Youth with "Until the Final Bell Rings" by Charlotte Foxhall
~
BIRMINGHAM
(BFAME) *
(preliminary round)
WARWICKSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
This festival isn't running in 2026
~
Qualifiers from the Western Division preliminary rounds will then competed in the
WESTERN DIVISION QUARTER FINAL
26th April, 2026
Conquest Theatre, Bromyard
Contact: emma-david-daniel@hotmail.com
Adjudicator: Alan Hayes
~
WESTERN DIVISION
28th - 29th March 2026
Highbury Theatre, Sutton
Contact:
Adjudicator: Ruth Cattell
~
Winning through to the Quarter Final are
IMPACT with “A Murder of Crows" by Mike Kenny
and
The Grange Players with "Jack"
by Peter Bridges
~
CENTRAL DIVISION
HASTILOW *
(preliminary round)
11th -12th April 2026
The Rose Theatre, Rugeley
Contact: suetact@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Alan Hayes
~
Winning through to the Quarter Final is
TACT with "The Weight of Small Things" by Tilly Lane
SHROPSHIRE *
(preliminary round)
3rd - 8th November 2025
The BelfryTheatre, Telford
Contact:
alimaclean1990@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Cherry Stephenson
Winning through to the Quarter Final is
Llanymynech Players with "Starfish" by Marg Kynaston
and
Wellington Players with "Superheroes" by John Britton
~
LEICS AND RUTLAND
(preliminary round)
27th, 28th, 29th March, 2026
The Little Theatre, Leicester
Contact:
Adjudicator: Cherry Stephenson
Winning through to the Quarter Final is
Heckington Players with "Wisemen Nor Fools" by
Kei Bailey
~
STOKE
(preliminary round)
6th, 7th, 8th March 2026
Mitchell Memorial Theatre, Stoke
Contact: ian.hill807@ntworld.com
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
Winning through to the Quarter Final is
Mowcop Players with
"Cagebirds" by David Campton
and
DE Caversmill with "Viral" by Maria McConville
~
Qualifiers from the Central Division preliminary rounds will then competed in the
CENTRAL DIVISION QUARTER FINAL
25th April, 2026
Crown Wharf Theatre, Crown St, Stone ST15 8QN
Contact: suetact@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Annie Rees
The qualifying teams from the QUARTER FINALS
go through to the CENTRAL AREA SEMI FINAL
WESTERN AREA FESTIVALS
TOTTON
(preliminary round)
16th - 21st March 2026
Hanger Farm Arts Centre, Totton
Contact:
Adjudicator: Annie Rees
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Starcast Drama Company with "Chequered Flags to Chequered Futures" by Mark Wheeler
and
SUP Theatre Company with "I'm You From The Future" by Pippa Watling
~
AVON *
(preliminary round)
18th - 21st March 2026
Town Hall, Chipping Sodbury
Contact: avonshortplayfestival.org.uk
Adjudicator: Jan Palmer Sayer
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Broadly Speaking Productions with "Pigeon Syndrome" by Benjamin Keyser
~
BRISTOL
(preliminary round)
19th - 23rd February 2026
Olympus Theatre, Stoke Gifford
Contact:
Adjudicator: David Price
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Kelvin Players with
"Three in a Lift" by Zoltan Mraz
~
SOMERSET
(preliminary round)
21st - 22nd March 2026
The Warehouse, Ilminster
Contact: ireneglynn61@gmail.com
Adjudicator: Chris Jaeger
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Ilminster Entertainments Society: "Knockin' on Dave's Door" by Neil Webster
~
The qualifying teams from the WESTERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
go through to the WESTERN AREA SEMI FINAL
EASTERN AREA FESTIVALS
HUNTINGDON
(preliminary round)
8th March 2026
Lewis Hall Theatre,
Kimbolton School, Huntingdon
Contact: nla@kimboltonschool.com
Adjudicator: Rebekah Fortune-Smith
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Kimbolton School with "Angels in America" by Tony Kushner
~
23rd - 28th February 2026
Barn Theatre, Oxted
Contact: cdfatbarn@btinternet.com
Adjudicator: David Price
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Leaderbeing with "Artemis Unmasked" by Jill McMillan
~
MAIDENHEAD *
(preliminary round)
21st - 25th April 2026
Norden Farm Centre, M'head
Contact: carol@hennwinds.me.uk
Adjudicator: Andrew Head
~
SOUTHERN COUNTIES
(preliminary round)
WALTHAM FOREST *
(preliminary round)
26th - 28th March 2026
Forest Centre, Walthamstow
Contact: elaine17elliott@aol.com
Adjudicator: Jan Palmer Sayer
Winning through to the Semi Final is
Woodhouse Players with "Vintage" by Lucy Kaufman
~
The qualifying teams from the EASTERN AREA PRELIMINARY ROUND FESTIVALS
go through to the EASTERN AREA SEMI FINAL