Open Call for Director’s Pitches
KDC programmes its seasons based on pitches we receive from directors with a project in mind, opening our books to new proposals about once or twice a year.
Pitches are currently OPEN. We are looking to programme shows for Autumn 2026 (auditions in September 2026, shows in November/December 2026) and Spring 2027 (auditions in January, shows in March/April). We open our books for pitches a few times a year, to plan the next few seasons of shows. This is usually 6-8 months before each show.
A community of misfits
The most important thing we’re looking for in director’s pitches is a sense of how your project will contribute to the KDC community.
KDC is a unique kind of community – it is a community of misfits. A misfit is literally a bad (mis) fit, something that doesn’t attune with what’s around it. That describes KDC perfectly. We are far from a professional theatre company, but seem to have long outgrown the identity of an “amateur theatre” group, and are too transient and open for “community theatre”. We are led neither by profit, nor by a desire to push the limits of the avant-garde. KDC is neither club (too haughty), nor clique (too bitchy) nor company (too… corporate!). Our community is a misfit, like all the different kinds of people that take part in it.
Through their myriad, unique contributions, KDCers get ten-times more out of our community than what they feel they put into it. This is of course illogical, but it is also true. Creatio ex nihilo, or, genesis out of nothing. The community of misfits means KDC has so much latitude to be obscure and genuine. Think about how your pitch can deliver on that.
What we’re interested in
We aim to give actors, directors and others the opportunity to get involved in a range of work, so we are not especially prescriptive about the types of projects we will programme. We do contemporary theatre, Shakespeare/classical works, devised pieces, new writing and other genres of theatre and performance too. Directors are welcomed (nay, encouraged!) to pitch multiple projects, which gives us more freedom to programme balanced seasons. All pitches must be submitted by directors themselves. Writers, please do not pitch your script without a director in place. We will be most interested in projects that hit these criteria:
- Shows with casts of 6 or more actors. Quite important. Since we rely on mostly family and friends of the cast to come see our shows, we are interested in projects with larger casts. This also allows us to include as many KDCers as possible in our productions. The maximum cast size is dictated by the venues we perform in.
- New takes on old favourites. If you want to pitch us something that’s very well known (say, Romeo & Juliet) then we would like to see how your production will bring a unique perspective.
- Risky, unfamiliar… frankly a bit weird. We prefer to lend ourselves to projects that might struggle to find a home elsewhere. If your project has a bit of an edge, we’d be keen to hear about it.
- Comedies. Our past few seasons have been quite drama-heavy, so we are particularly interested in seeing more comedies pitched this time around.
- Pieces in the public domain. Whether that’s work out of copyright, or new writing, we’re always interested in having some shows in our seasons that we don’t have to pay a performance licensing fee for.
- Projects led by KDC community members. Whether you acted in a show last season, or directed with us a decade ago, we encourage anyone with a connection to KDC to pitch a show. We’re very open and welcoming to newcomers and will consider pitches from anyone, but would like to see projects led or supported (assistant directors, producers, etc.) by KDCers!
What we’re not so interested in
Notwithstanding the above about being open and inclusive, there are a few kinds of projects we are unlikely to programme:
- Pieces with a single writer-director. While we welcome new writing projects, we would like to see writers teaming up with directors to bring their work to life.
- “One-man” shows. See above regarding cast sizes.
- Projects with an existing cast. We are proud to hold free, open auditions for anyone interested in coming to be a part of our community, so won’t programme shows that already have a cast in place.
- Musicals. Mostly owing to limitations placed on us by the kinds of venues we perform in.
What we need from you
- To be a motivated, creative, ambitious director with a clear artistic vision for your project.
- An intriguing play or project that will be fun and fulfilling for both your cast and your audience.
- A team. We do not recommend pitching as a lone director – it can get lonely at the top and there are lots of tasks you will be in charge of (scheduling, marketing, costumes, props, set, etc.) so we want to see who you will bring along on this journey to support you.
- A frugal and inventive use of a very small budget – we are a charity!
- A play or project of about 90-120 minutes, with an interval (the theatres we work with charge more for shows without an interval)
- A plan to market and promote your show. Directors and their casts are ultimately responsible for selling tickets to their show. We would like to hear about how you will use resources at your disposal for promotion. KDC’s social media channels will help amplify any content you create, but you need a plan on who and how it will be created.
What you can expect from us
- Audition and rehearsal space (around 8 hours of rehearsal per week for 6-8 weeks).
- Theatre hire for your performance week. We typically hire theatres in Zone 1&2 in London, such as the Baron’s Court Theatre, Drayton Arms Theatre, Rosemary Branch or the White Bear. These are all pub theatres (ie. mostly black-box theatres above or below a pub) with an audience capacity of around 50.
- Marketing on our email list, website, and socials for auditions and audience.
- Performance rights for the show if needed. Sometimes requests for rights are rejected or not available in the UK. Another reason why it is a good idea to pitch multiple projects.
- Access to props, costumes and set pieces we have in our lock-up.
- A show budget of £450 for props, costumes, set, travel/logistics, marketing, etc.
- Advice and support from the KDC Committee.
It is not essential that you have past directing experience per-say, but directors are ultimately responsible for their show and it is a significant undertaking, though extremely rewarding! Consider pitching a project with the right balance of experience with directing for theatre and with KDC. We provide a platform and the funds for you to deliver on your vision, and though the committee is here to support, we cannot take on major responsibilities.
We’re looking forward to seeing your pitches – please complete the form below!
What happens next
You can submit your pitch at any time. We will make an announcement a few weeks before we close applications, but don’t delay in sharing your projects with us if you have them.
If we are interested in your project, we will schedule an interview with the KDC Artistic Director and (at least) one other member of the KDC Committee. Keep an eye on your inbox (and spam folder!) for an email from us after you submit your pitch.
If your pitch is successful, we will discuss details of audition, rehearsal and performances dates, as well as venue and other exciting things. If necessary, we will also have to apply for and secure performance rights for your show before we can announce the upcoming production.