To celebrate the illustrious career of one of the great stars of the silver screen, Sally Burton and her company Onward Production in association with Black Swan have created a major playwriting initiative, The Richard Burton Award for New Plays.

The Award, one of the richest in Australia, will be an annual prize of $30,000 for works that have not yet had a production. This is a national competition open to full length unproduced plays. (An unproduced play is a work that has not had a professional production. A reading or workshop of the play is not considered a professional production.).

The play must have been written in the 12 months leading up to the closing date of the award.

Entrants must be 21 years of age by July 2nd 2010. The Award is open to Australian citizens or recognised Australian Residents.

Playwrights may only enter one play per year into the Award. Plays that have been commissioned by a company are not eligible for the award.

Onward Production and Black Swan State Theatre Company will have the first exclusive rights to produce the play for 12 months from the Award being announced. All entries must be received at Black Swan by Friday 2nd July 2010.

Winners will be announced at Black Swan’s 2011 season launch in October 2010.