Returning for a second year, the partnership aims to discover and nurture new comedy writing talent from across the UK
Comedy legend, Dame Julie Walters is the scheme's Patron and award-winning Comedy writers will be among the scheme's mentors
Last call for entries on Friday 12th August
Sky Studios and Birmingham Rep have announced the return of Sky Comedy Rep,' a joint partnership that aims to discover and nurture emerging comedy writing talent from across the UK, particularly from communities that have traditionally been under-represented in the Arts.
Now in its second year, the scheme, which is open for entries until Friday 12th August, will see eight writers selected to develop a one-act stage play. This year, all plays will focus on a simple premise: a proposal in the park.
Each of the eight plays will feature up and coming acting and directing talent, performed as part of a three-day festival at The Rep in early 2023.
Last year, twins and writing duo Mari and Lowri Izzard were selected to take part and following the performance of their play Spoffin, the pair have been commissioned by Sky Studios to write further scripts which are in active development.
Sky Comedy Rep gave us the opportunity to be in a room we never would have had access to before. We learnt so much and had a really great time working with the teams from The Birmingham Rep and Sky Studios. Thanks to the scheme, we're currently developing Spoffin for screen. We owe a lot to Sky Comedy Rep and encourage everyone and anyone to apply. Go on; give it a go! , the duo said.
Throughout the six-month programme, writers will be paid for their work and receive one-to-one mentoring from some of the Greats from British Comedy. Last year, mentors included: Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars), Simon Blackwell (The Thick of It, Veep) Danny Brocklehurst (award-winning series Brassic, Shameless) and Guz Khan (Man Like Mobeen), with this year's mentors set to be announced in autumn. There will also be a series of workshops and masterclasses at The Rep, to provide insights into all aspects of writing and production.
The initiative will be overseen by The Rep's Artistic Director, Olivier Award-winning Sean Foley (The Play What I Wrote) and Sky Studios Creative Director of Comedy, BAFTA Award-winning Anil Gupta (Goodness Gracious Me, The Office).
Anil Gupta, Creative Director of Comedy at Sky Studios, said: We were thrilled with the first edition of Sky Comedy Rep; nurturing, mentoring, and backing the next generation of Comedy talent aligns perfectly with our ambition to become the home of British TV comedy. Working with the writers was a joy and the plays were a triumph. This year is going to be even bigger and better. Like all sequels.
Sean Foley, Birmingham Rep Artistic Director said: The first year of Sky Comedy Rep was such a thrilling and hilarious success that we decided to do it again. The Rep is excited to partner with our friends at Sky Studios for the return of our unique and ambitious talent development programme for Comedy Writing in the UK."
Developing new talent is deep in The Rep's pioneering DNA, and last year's writers and performances were a testament to how raw talent can blossom when nurtured and given space to grow. I can't wait to do it all over again
The initiative fuels Sky Studios' ambition to be at the forefront of UK Comedy and The Rep as the unofficial National Theatre of Comedy'. Working together, the scheme will serve as a training ground for a new generation of narrative comedy writers, directors, and actors.
Entries are open NOW. To be eligible, writers must not have had their writing broadcast on television or performed in any theatre above 200 seats in size. For further information on how to submit entries writers can visit: https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/get-involved/creative-development/sky-comedy-rep.html.
The deadline for submissions is August 12th, 2022.
Notes to Editors
Media Contact
Sky Studios: Harrison Kelly / Harrison.kelly@sky.uk
The Rep: Ben Wooldridge/ ben.wooldridge@birmingham-rep.co.uk
About Sky Studios
Sky Studios is Sky's original programming arm across Europe.
We develop, produce, commission and fund original drama and scripted comedy for Sky's 24m customers and beyond. Building on the success of critically-acclaimed Sky Originals including Emmy-winning Chernobyl , Bafta-winning Patrick Melrose and international hits Das Boot , Riviera and Britannia , Sky Studios is the new creative home of must-see Sky Originals, such as The Rising , Blocco 181 and Souls .
We're an agile Studio, seeking out the best untold stories from new voices while working in creative partnership with today's best writers, producers and on-screen talent to bring viewers stories they wouldn't find anywhere else.
With commissioning talent and production capability across the UK, Germany and Italy, we understand local tastes across Europe better than anyone else and have plans to more than double our investment in original content by 2024, fully supported and backed by Comcast NBCUniversal.
We're also developing a new TV and movie studio, Sky Studios Elstree, which is expected to lead to the creation of over 2,000 new jobs and generate an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK creative sector in the first five years alone.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
11/09/2026
Spark series gains compact modelling stompbox
Positive Grid's Spark amps have become a popular part of the company's line-up, offering a convenient ...
11/09/2026
New flagship sequencing plug-in revealed
Rapid Flow have just launched a new 16-track sequencer plug-in which they say has been designed for total rhythmic...
11/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz unveils the air-cooled R&S TM1 medium-power UHF transmitter at I...
11/09/2026
Friday 11 September 2026
Sky Sports extends US Open deal to 2030
Sky has agreed a three-year extension to its US Open deal, ensuring Sky Sports & NOW remains ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
A Decade of Innovation: AMP VISUAL TV Builds on Ten Years of MediorNet EvolutionAMP VISUAL TV is continuing the evolution of its ...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Mediacom Deploys Riedel Easy5G for Wireless Camer...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Touring Video Expands Flexible Production Workflows With Riedel MediorNet and hiRiedel Communications today announced that Tourin...
11/09/2026
Wuppertal September 11, 2026
Riedel Technology Powers Record-Breaking Esports World Cup Production in ParisFrom July 6 to Aug. 23, 2026, Paris hosted the Espo...
11/09/2026
Article courtesy of Digital Production
Read the article
With Baselight 8 coming in 2027, the interesting part is not the number of new buttons. Some features...
11/09/2026
It's almost iPhone Pro time. Starting Saturday, September 12, at 1 p.m, cust...
11/09/2026
RT has today announced Benetti Menswear as the sponsor of its 2026 Amgen Irish Open coverage for a sixth consecutive year, further strengthening the heritage c...
10/09/2026
Editing, restoration & mastering suite upgraded Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editing restoration mastering software.
Acon Digital have just launched the la...
10/09/2026
Classic synths & drum machines available to play
Based in Reading, UK, Readipop are a music and arts charity with a long track record of innovative, partici...
10/09/2026
Popular model updated & new addition introduced
With many of the models in Neumann's KH family now boasting onboard DSP and support for the company'...
10/09/2026
Improved desktop interface announced
The latest iteration of Arturia's flagship desktop audio interface has just arrived, introducing improved preamps, ...
10/09/2026
Progress needs proof: Rohde & Schwarz showcases its trailblazing test solutions ...
10/09/2026
The beloved duo are back with big challenges and even bigger laughs as they discover if you're ever truly too old to try something new.
Previous praise for...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky News Defence Insider app launches as new researc...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Award-winning network Sky Mobile to offer Apple iPho...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky unveils gripping teaser for The Good Daughter, coming this NovemberTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options a...
10/09/2026
Harmonic Leads the New Era of Broadband Connectivity at SCTE TechExpo 2026 Showcase Spotlights Include:
New cOS SensAI intelligence fabric unleashing data-pow...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
Chennai/Luxembourg, 9 September 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today announced the inauguration of its new office in Chennai, India, marking a s...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
08/09/2026
BERLIN, September 8, 2026 - J nger Audio will introduce a major expansion of its flexAI audio processing platform at IBC 2026. The flexAI system adds autonomous...
08/09/2026
New Vendor-Agnostic Broadband Intelligence Fabric Reduces Operational Complexity and Improves Service Quality for Broadband Service Providers SAN JOSE, Calif. -...
08/09/2026
Arvato Systems Brings TI Expertise to the Stage
Panels, workshops, and real-world examples at the TI-SUMMIT 2026
Arvato Systems, a partner of the TI-SUMMIT 2...
08/09/2026
On October 1, Apple Arcade is rolling out a lineup of fun new games for players ...
07/09/2026
Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced
HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...
Returning for a second year, the partnership aims to discover and nurture new comedy writing talent from across the UK
