Questions about copyright?
What should you keep in mind regarding copyright permission when you work with a theatre script? These are the general principles.
For every public performance of a play, you must first obtain permission and pay the required copyright fees. Copyright exists to protect the creators of theatre texts: primarily writers, but also adaptors and translators. In many cases, they transfer the management of their copyright to others, such as a publisher, a copyright agency, or their heirs. Copyright fees must be paid until 70 years after the death of the writer, adaptor, or translator. When a creator (writer, composer, …) has been dead for more than 70 years, their work enters the public domain and is free of copyright. However, be careful: if you use a translation or adaptation of the original work, you must also respect the rights of the translator or adaptor. In that case, the text is not entirely copyright‑free.
If you want to translate or adapt a play yourself, you need permission if the writer has been dead for less than 70 years. The same applies if you create a new adaptation or translation based on an existing one: you also need permission from the adaptor or translator.
As a theatre group or individual theatre maker, it is your responsibility to report that you want to perform, adapt, or translate a particular play. If you fail to do so, you risk a fine, or the rights holder may block the performance. In some cases, you may not receive performance rights because a professional company has temporary exclusive rights to the play. It is therefore important to inform yourself on time. It is best not to start rehearsing until you know you have permission to perform the text.
Copyright fees vary depending on the duration of the play and the audience capacity of the venue. For the use of existing music, a theatre group must pay music copyright fees unless the composer has been dead for more than 70 years. These rights are handled through UNISONO.
If you have written a theatre script, you can have it added to the Theaterbib collection. Send us a digital copy at theaterbib@opendoek.be Please include as much relevant information as possible: title, author, short synopsis, cast list, duration, …
Keep in mind that readers of your script may also want to perform it. We therefore need information on how the copyright should be handled in that case. Are you affiliated with SABAM, ALMO, SACD, deAuteurs of Toneelfonds Janssens? Or do you manage your rights yourself? If so, the Online Depot might be useful for you.
If you want to adapt an existing text, don’t forget to request permission from the original author or the copyright holder first. If you submit a correct and well‑motivated request, you will usually receive permission and cooperation from the author or the copyright organisation. If you ignore this requirement, you risk legal action, fines, or having your performances stopped.
If you have more specific questions, the Theaterbib can help you further. Feel free to contact us at theaterbib@opendoek.be.
Arranging the copyright for your upcoming performance run may seem complicated at first.
This checklist will help you get started:
You can find more detailed information about copyright and related topics in this tutorial
Livestreaming
Do you want to create a performance that your audience can follow from home via the internet? Or make a recording of a performance available online? That is possible as long as you request the rights correctly.
A live stream counts as a new performance in terms of copyright, which means you must request separate rights. First ask the author or their rights representative whether you are allowed to stream a performance using their text. Not every author allows this. Then request the streaming rights from the rights holder who manages the performance rights of the text.
If you do not know who manages the rights to the text you want to livestream, do not hesitate to contact the Theaterbib at theaterbib@opendoek.be of 03/222.40.95. We will gladly help you find out who you need to contact
Do not forget that you also need to request the rights for all the music you use, and that you must have permission from every actor or extra who appears on screen.
On the Cultuurconnect website you will find an extensive overview of everything you need to think about when it comes to streaming, and a practical guide by Didier Deneuter and Inge De Bruyn from Modo Law that walks you through everything you need to consider when it comes to streaming and copyright.
To submit your request to perform a theatre text, you first need to know who to contact. In most cases, this is clearly indicated in the script, but sometimes it takes some searching. Below are the most common options.
Most theatre texts are managed by a copyright organisation. In Flanders, this is usually one of the following:
It is possible that the rights to a play are managed by several organisations at the same time. This often happens with translations or adaptations when the translator or adaptor is affiliated with a different rights organisation than the original author.
If the rights are not managed by one of these organisations, it may be that:
If you cannot figure it out, send your question to theaterbib@opendoek.be
OPENDOEK and the Theaterbib do not sell script material. You can borrow texts from our library for reading purposes only.
If you want to stage a play, keep in mind that for most texts you are required to purchase brochures. The number usually matches the number of roles in the play. The main publishers selling theatre scripts in Flanders are ALMO and Toneelfonds Janssens. Both have an online catalogue. Repertoire managed by SABAM that has never been published in any other form (for example, never appeared as a book) may be freely reproduced for performance purposes. If it has been published, you must purchase at least one copy. Some authors allow you to copy their texts freely. Others are represented by a publishing house.The most important thing is this: always request permission to perform the text first.
Not sure whether or how you need to purchase a script? Feel free to email theaterbib@opendoek.be
Using existing music in your performance?
For the music played before and after the performance and during the interval, you must pay a fair remuneration. Check whether the venue already covers this through a contract. If not, you need to arrange it yourself.
This list is indicative only and not exhaustive. It is simply an overview of information we have received and may change over time. Always contact the rights holders to be certain about your play.
Many texts by Roald Dahl are not available for performance for an indefinite period. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory can be performed, provided your request is approved. For more information, contact brenda@almo.be.
Francis Veber has requested a performance ban for all his plays by community theatre groups. Well‑known titles by this author include De nagel van mijn kist and Smullen met snullen (original titles: Le Contrat, translation by F. Aendenboom; Le Dîner des Cons).Yasmina Reza (author of Art, among others) has lifted the performance ban on all her texts for community theatre. However, permission is still far from guaranteed. Submit your production requests early, and expect additional questions before final approval is given.
Antoine de Saint‑Exupéry (author of The Little Prince) does not impose an explicit performance ban, but you should be aware that productions often face strict requirements. These can make an amateur staging nearly impossible, such as costumes that must closely match the original illustrations.
Special conditions apply to performing the work of Samuel Beckett. Beckett wrote his plays in French and/or English.
For the rights to translations from French, contact SACD at bst@sacd.be.
For the rights to translations from English, contact ALMO at brenda@almo.be.
All rights for amateur performances of Arthur Miller’s work are managed by Toneelfonds Janssens. For more information, contact rechten@toneelfonds.be.
Anglo‑Saxon authors (such as Simon, Albee, Allen) charge very high fees. Make sure to check this in advance. For more information, contact brenda@almo.be andrechten@toneelfonds.be.
TTexts by Ruud De Ridder may not be performed within the city of Antwerp. For more: brenda@almo.be.
