A Season of Bangla Drama 2023

Do you want to get involved in another great festival of theatre?

A Season of Bangla Drama will be back in 2023 for its 20th anniversary, and we are seeking new writing.

The theme for 2023 is 20 Acts of love. Recent years have forced us to confront many sobering aspects of modern life. These includes political turmoil, the spectacle of war, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

This is a great opportunity to celebrate the more positive aspects of the human condition. We can use theatre to spread a message of hope and the power of love in all its forms.

We seek plays that embrace the nobler qualities of care, compassion, generosity and understanding. Contexts can vary from homelessness and foster care to romantic love. They can also cover the breaking down of prejudices and ways to show betterment.

A Season of Bangla Drama can help local groups to develop their expertise and skills in theatre production. It showcases new writing to both established and emerging audiences from all communities.

Selection criteria

As A Season of Bangla Drama moves into its 20th year, we are opening up the selection criteria. We welcome Expressions of Interest from individuals as well as organisations. Those from the wider community (not exclusively Bengali) can also apply. 

We are encouraging younger writers. We aim to present 2 plays written by those under the age of 30. Playwrights and organisations can be local or national but content should be relevant to an East London audience. It must be new writing, with debut performances at the 2023 festival.

Get involved

If you would like to get involved in 2023, please complete the Expression of Interest form.

Please read the guidelines and criteria before filling out and returning the form.

Submissions open on Tuesday 21 February, and close on Tuesday 25 April at 10am

Download the expressionof interest form

Praise for past events

One audience member from 2022 stated that ‘The Season of Bangla Drama is exceptional. It offers a space for artists to perform and articulate a distinctive British Bangladeshi culture, which is often left at the margins. It conveys the richness and variety of British Bangladeshi culture with attendance from a diverse audience’.