1 Each company taking part must consist of members of a bona fide amateur group and all performers must be amateurs i.e. must act (without payment) only in their leisure time.

2 Cambridge Drama Festival is a Preliminary Festival of the All-England Theatre Festival. Copies of the AETF rules are available on request.

3 Technical and Programme details should be sent to the appropriate committee member by Monday, 17th March. - more details later. However, if you are entering Cambridge for the first time, and would like to see the theatre before this date, our technical team will be happy to arrange this for you.

2 Companies offering a new play should note that the New Play Award will be given to the author of the best play performed at the festival that, on the closing date of entry, (a) is unpublished, (b) has not been performed professionally and (c) has not won a New Play Award in any competition.

3 Each entry must be at least 20 minutes in length but must not exceed the time limit of 55 minutes. It is important that companies should accurately describe the length of their play when submitting their entries so that we can organise the programme apporpriately.

4 10 minutes will be allowed for setting and 5 minutes for striking the setting for each entry. It is the custom at the Cambridge Festival to play a fanfare before the beginning of each play. The starting time for teams will be 5 seconds after the end of the fanfare. The Festival Stage Director will check that teams are ready before the fanfare is played.

6 Companies should note that RULE 5 will be strictly enforced by an official time-keeper. The Festival Stage Manager’s decision on this and all other backstage matters will be final.

7 COPYRIGHT If an entry is copyright, it is the responsibility of the company to see that the author’s permission is obtained for the performance and that any royalty fees have been paid in advance. It is also the responsibility of the company to obtain appropriate permission for the use of music and effects in the performance. Documentary evidence of the payment of the appropriate peermission, royalties or fees MUST be presented to the Stage Manager prior to the performance.

8 Seating in the auditorium - Two free tickets will given to teams on their performance nights for use by their supporters. Members of the back-stage crews will be given passes for seats in the auditorium (subject to availability). For general supporters, tickets are available at £5 per ticket for groups of ten and over.

1 Our Technical Director will be in control of the switchboard and lighting equipment under the direction of each competing company.

2 Our Technical Director must be informed of the music and sound effects to be used, and any sound reproduction equipment which a competing company may wish to use must have the Technical Director’s approval.

3 Stage effects which present a fire hazard will not be allowed. Effects such as smoking or the firing of guns may, in certain circumstances be allowed, provided permission has been sought and obtained from the Fire Officer. David McRobb, CDF’s Technical Director, will be happy to discuss effects with teams at the time of submitting technical details - 01223 363182 e-mail dkmcrobb@ntlworld.com.

4 Neither the festival performance nor the adjudication may be recorded on sound or video tape, filmed or photographed.

1 A non-returnable Entrance Fee of £30.00 must be forwarded with each entry but every company will be allocated 2 free tickets for the night of their performance.

1 The adjudicator will deliver a public adjudication of each entry at the end of each evening and will decide on the winners of the trophies at the end of the festival.

2 The adjudicator will use the following system of marking: Acting 40 marks, Production 35 marks, Stage Presentation 15 marks, Endeavour, Originality and Attainment 10 marks.

4 The adjudicator will identify one company to proceed to the Quarter Final of the All-England competition by selecting the highest-marked eligible entry from Cambridgeshire (The same procedure will apply at the Bedfordshire festival. The third team at the Quarter- Final will be the next highest-marked group from either of these two festivals who are opting to go through.)

1 Neither the Festival Committee nor Anglia Ruskin University (The Mumford Theatre) hold themselves responsible for any liability for injury to persons or for loss or damage to property.