The Harold Jolliffe One Act Play Festival is what's called a ‘Preliminary Round' of the All England Theatre Festival. As such, it is not organised by the AETF but by the Swindon & District Theatre Guild.

Subsequent rounds, into which we will send our winning companies, are organised by the AETF.

Given that situation, the Swindon & District Theatre Guild has chosen to adopt the AETF rules in relation to its own preliminary round.

The only additional rule added by the Swindon & District Theatre Guild is that the age at which we consider an actor to be adult is 18. Actors aged 17, or younger, are considered youths.

All England Theatre Festival Rules

Who Can Enter?

1. The Festival is open to any amateur group who gather together to present a performance.

2. All players must be amateur i.e. those whose main income is not earned by acting.

3. Dramatic Schools for the training of professional actors are not eligible.

4. By entering the AETF Festival companies commit themselves to performance at each level if selected and are expected to appear.

How Do We Enter?

5. Entry into the National Festival must be via a Preliminary Festival, either a local festival organised by the AETF or an independent local festival affiliated to the AETF.

6. Any company:

6/1. Who desires to enter the AETF competition must declare this on the Preliminary Round entry form.

6/2. Companies must provide a completed AETF Declaration immediately following their selection.

7. A company may:

7/1. Enter and opt with any number of plays in a Preliminary Festival.

7/2. They may enter as many festivals as they like, but can only opt from one, preferably their local Preliminary (First Round) Festival.

What Can We Enter?

8. No play in copyright may be performed without production of its performance licence and written permission for any cuts or alterations. This to be presented to the Festival Stage Director.

9. Any copyright recorded speech or projection of film or TV material can be used as long as proof of permission is produced.

10. Scripts or written synopses in the case of improvisations must be submitted by the date requested to the organisers in advance of the festival.

11. There must be a minimum of two speaking parts on stage.

12. A company must offer a production, which meets the timing requirement, and is performed as per the script they provide for the adjudicator.

13. Only hard copies of scripts are accepted. Photocopies are only acceptable with written permission of the publishers.

14. Each entry must be at least twenty minutes in length and not exceed fifty-five minutes. This includes any time spent changing scenes or used to set mood by cast or music. Curtain calls are not permitted.

15. Entries are allowed ten minutes to set and five to strike. This is not included in the playing time.

16. Penalties for not keeping within times for performance, setting and striking are:

17. The scenery must be freestanding within the supplied ‘black box'. Individual theatres may provide additional facilities.

18. Scenery, all properties and any special technical equipment required for their production must be provided by the companies and fireproofing of all materials and sets is their responsibility.

19. Companies must give advance notice to the relevant organisers of special equipment or effects such as naked lights, pistol shots etc which must comply with the theatre's requirements. Local regulations may differ especially with regard to items such as smoking on stage.

How Will We Be Judged?

20. The adjudicator will give a public adjudication of each entry and at the end of the Festival select and announce the company/companies to go forward to the next round.

21. The adjudicator will use the following marking system:

22. The adjudicator's decision is final.

Written adjudications can be arranged for companies provided a written request is made to the organisers, together with necessary fee, before the festival.

Full Rules

For a full set of rules, see the All-England Festival website (www.aetf.org.uk).