Famous for 15 Minutes
Five time Golden Inkwell Winner – Owain Johnston
Famous for 15 Minutes (FFM) is an annual Playwriting Competition organized by the BMDS Charitable Trust. Since the founding in 2001 by three BMDS stalwarts, Kelvin Hastings-Smith, Phillip Jones, and playwright Tom Coash, it has gone from strength to strength, with 2026 being the 20th anniversary.
Whilst the primary focus of FFM is about playwriting, each year six plays are selected from the submissions and are performed on the BMDS Daylesford stage, with the winner receiving the prestigious Golden Inkwell award. Scripts are sent anonymously to an overseas panel of professional playwrights or theatrical luminaries who select the Final Six, and then the celebrity Judge chooses the winning play. This is all done prior to the plays being performed.
Anyone who is a current Bermuda resident can submit a play, as long as it is original and has never been previously performed in any manner, anywhere. To assist with the process there are links below to the necessary elements you need to consider. The Rules and Guidelines are most important, so these should be reviewed to ensure your script can be considered. Important dates are also included below for this year’s event.
Audition pieces – Check back soon
Important 2026 Dates
Script submission deadline – March 27th
Auditions – May 4th and 5th (6:00 at Daylesford Theatre)
Rehearsals start – May 11th
Opening Night – June 4th
Gala Night – June 13th