We’re looking for six short plays, and actors to perform in them.

LEG BREAKERS is a scratch night. It's an opportunity for writers to push themselves, to try new things, or just give it a go. It’s open to anyone, whether this is your first play, or your hundred and first.

This time we have a prompt that the scripts should be written to. It goes like this: A threshold has been reached. A decision must be made, or a step must be taken. This is the most important moment of their life or lives, but this doesn’t have to be clear.

If your script is selected, it’ll be performed at the event in front of a supportive audience. We provide dramaturgy, rehearsal time, and you’ll also receive audience feedback.

WRITER CALLOUT:

We’re looking for six original short plays up to 15 minutes. This is roughly 13-15 pages in size 14. The plays should be inspired by and written to our prompt. Fresh, scrappy pieces are encouraged - just hit us with your best shot.

PROMPT // Leg Breakers 002 - THRESHOLD

A threshold has been reached. A decision must be made, or a step must be taken. This is the most important moment of their life or lives, but this doesn't have to be known to them. 

Bonus points if you include a joke that makes nobody in the audience laugh. 

We're looking for bold, strange, heartfelt, funny, furious, and everything in between when exploring the prompt above. Most of all, we want it to sound like you. No stress, no worries, no judgement, just hit us with your best shot, and we’ll love it no matter what.

Please submit your script as a PDF, in a clear and legible font such as Arial or Garamond, size 14. Submissions must be in the English language, as we don't currently have the capacity to translate work. We encourage restraint in terms of cast size, to a maximum of 4 characters. 

Each selected piece will be performed by our team of actors, with dramaturgical support, photography, and video footage provided, so you’ll get a real sense of how your work lands in the room. While our actors might not exactly fit the specific casting for your piece, we invite you to treat this as a chance to explore and play, rather than something restrictive. All writers will also be required to share marketing copy about their script as well as contribute to our website advertising the evening with content about their plays and their work so far. 

Deadline: Friday 2 October 2026 

Fee for selected writers: £250

Date of event: Friday 27 November 2026

We welcome writers at all stages — whether you’re brand new or have a few scripts under your belt. We believe new writing is vital to the survival of theatre, and to capture the strange time we’re living through.

If anything’s unclear or you’ve got questions, drop us a line at info@cloudburstltd.co.uk.

PERFORMER CALLOUT:

We are looking to assemble a team of Greater Manchester based talent who are passionate about bringing new writing to life. We're currently looking for four performers and are keen to hear from recent graduates, anyone who considers themselves to be emerging and those often underrepresented on our stages. 

Leg Breakers is an encouraging and supportive environment for creatives to connect and develop new work. 

Please submit your Bio, Website, Spotlight or Showreel Link for consideration. 

Application Deadline: Friday 2 October 2026

Rehearsal Dates: 25, 26, 27 November 2026 

Performance Date: 27 November 2026

Fee: £420.00 (3 days @ £140 per day)

If anything’s unclear or if you’ve got questions, drop us a line on info@cloudburstltd.co.uk.

This is a paid opportunity. Deadline is October 2nd 2026.

For more information and to apply, click the Opportunity Info link below!