Creatives at a St Albans theatre have launched an exciting film script project while performances can no longer take place on its stages.

The Abbey Theatre may have shut up shop for the time being owing to the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean the home of the Company of Ten is not thinking about drama.

Producers at the theatre in Holywell Hill are asking people to write short scripts about social isolation, which they can then turn into simple films using talented local actors.

The Corona Monologues project will allow performers to write or act in new drama – from the safety of their own home.

Karen Thomas, production executive at Abbey Theatre Trust, said: “This short-term project is backed by our patron Mike Newell, the film director behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco, Four Weddings and a Funeral and many other great movies.”

The theatre is inviting submissions of short scripts – less than one minute running time – from anyone in the UK.

The scripts need to be about social isolation in the time of COVID-19.

They can be as sad, funny, wise or silly as you like – but they do need to be filmable on a smartphone in a single take, preferably with a single actor.

Scripts in either MS Word or PDF format need to be sent to production@abbeytheatre.org.uk

The Abbey Theatre can’t promise to acknowledge submissions, and no money will be paid.

If you would like to make your idea into a film yourself, go ahead and send it to the same address.

A team from the St Albans venue will select which scripts they can make into films.

These won’t necessarily be the best scripts, but they will be the scripts the theatre believes it can make well with its limited resources.

Most of the actors will be from the Abbey Theatre’s resident amateur companies.

However, if you are a budding actor yourself and would like to make one of these films at your home, get in touch with the organisers.

Write to the email address above, stating your playing age, gender and availability, and you might be sent a script.

Once the films have been made, the Abbey Theatre will share them on its social media feeds.

At the end of May 2020, the theatre will ask Mike Newell to judge the best video.

The winning film and all shortlisted videos will appear on the Abbey Theatre website.

The Abbey Theatre’s website states: “Please get involved if you can.

“We think the outcome could be quite remarkable, even if it is happening on a shoestring.

“And please spread the word, using the #coronamonologues hashtag.”

Visit www.abbeytheatre.org.uk for more.