Belly Scratch

Belly Scratch nights will feature 4 artists each performing or reading up to 20mins of a new piece of work. Artists will be chosen through an application process, and each artist will receive:

– A slot at a Belly Scratch night of up to 20 minutes to perform a section of work to an audience of 40 people. 
– Dedicated time after the performance in the venue bar to have a drink, meet the audience and chat about the work. 
– One day’s free rehearsal time in the Underbelly Boulevard Soho studio prior to the performance.
– Audience feedback on the work through an online form. 
– A 1-hour session with the Underbelly programming team to discuss the work and any questions around its development.
– £50 to cover travel expenses.

The criteria for applications are as follows: 
– Shows can be any size – solo show or ensemble. 
– Shows can be at any stage of development, from a hint of an idea to early R&D to fully scripted.
– Submissions must not have been performed before in front of an audience as part of a fully finished show. 
– Submissions must be for theatre pieces, but within that can be scripted, devised, spoken word, gig theatre, performance art or anything that reasonably falls under the theatre banner. 
– We do not accept submissions for stand-up comedy or cabaret. 
– We do not accept rehearsals or readings of published plays which already exist.
– We particularly welcome work from underrepresented artists and performers within the industry.
– Finally, we see this as a testing ground for trying out new things with no pressure or obligation, and we welcome submissions on any topic and which take any form – no idea is a bad idea!

Check out some of the previous shows we’ve worked with including Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England, DRUM, Identities, Is the Wifi Good in Hell?, Ugly Sisters, and The Mosinee Project in the gallery below: