The Ambassador Cruise Line and PEEL Entertainment Group's New Playwriting Challenge is Open For Submissions

Kicking off the new year, Ambassador Cruise Line and the PEEL Entertainment Group have opened submissions for their new Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025. With opportunities for new writing talent diminishing, this important and innovative new award has been conceived to celebrate and showcase talented writers.

The call for entries opens on Wednesday 15th  January 2025, with the competition closing on 4th April 2025. A shortlist will be announced in June this year, with the winner announced in December. Full details of the competition can be found at a dedicated website: www.theatreatsea.com

This incredible new award offers a whole new route for both experienced writers and unproduced playwrights to submit their work. The winning play will be produced as part of the Theatre@Sea programme which is performed on Ambassador’s ships Ambience and Ambition and staged onboard Ambition in 2025, with the winner receiving a cash prize of £6,000 and a free cruise for two in 2026. The award is the first of its kind to take place on a cruise ship, making new waves for both the theatre and travel industry!

Whilst running for over 25 years and most notably the last three with Ambassador Cruise Line, Theatre@Sea has staged a wide range of productions onboard both Ambassador ships to great acclaim, with a whole host of genres ranging from thrillers and dramas, comedies, and modern adaptations of classics. The onboard acting troupes are among the few existing repertory companies operating out of the UK.

Alongside the opening of submissions for the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025, the esteemed panel of judges and readers has also been announced. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise from across the theatre and entertainment industries and will assist in selecting the winner. The competition not only highlights the importance of providing spaces for talent, but also celebrates the high production values, funding, and development spaces for shows that can be offered on cruise ships. Many experienced and influential figures in theatre and entertainment are spotting the opportunities on offer. 

The judging panel for the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 includes Dr. Jessica Lazar, an award-winning director known for her work with  theatre company Atticist. With a national reputation in the new writing space, Lazar has directed productions such as Sap at the Paines Plough Roundabout and The Gift at Oxford Playhouse, demonstrating her mastery in creating innovative new work.

Alongside her is Dr. Alison Norrington, a highly accomplished writer, producer and founder of Story Central. With over 25 years in the industry, Norrington’s career includes collaborations with major brands like Walt Disney Imagineering, CBS Interactive, and AMC Networks. She is passionate about discovering fresh new talent and is keen to unearth the voices of tomorrow’s playwrights. Nathan Queely Dennis, an acclaimed playwright and winner of the 2022 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, is another distinguished member of the panel. His debut work, Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was lauded by critics. A rising star in new writing, Dennis hails from Birmingham and has worked with prestigious companies such as the Royal Court in London, as well as contributing to television writing.

Also in the judging line up is Bob McGowan, a veteran of the hospitality and travel industry with over 18 years of experience and a great deal of that in supporting cruise entertainment, who brings a unique perspective. Having worked his way up to the Executive Team of Ambassador Cruise Line as Chief Experience Officer, McGowan’s knowledge of the cruise industry is invaluable in promoting the future of ‘Theatre@Sea’

Finally, Susannah Daley, the founder of PEEL Entertainment, makes up the fifth judge, a BBC award winning playwright herself, she will lend her visionary leadership in supporting and elevating theatre for contemporary cruise audiences.

In addition to the judges, the challenge will benefit from the expertise of an outstanding group of readers, including Dr. Chris Ford, a highly experienced theatre practitioner with decades of experience as a writer, director, and performer; James Stone, a writer and director for both theatre and film, with over 30 years of industry insight; Martin Pearson, an experienced producer and director with a background in drama and live interpretation who produces the Theatre at Sea programme. Kerry Daley, the creative force behind the Theatre@Sea programme and large-scale entertainment shows, will oversee the production of the winning play and appoint a director and Production Team to assist the winning writer in bringing their vision to life. 

Together, these esteemed judges and readers will help identify the next wave of playwrighting talent and provide invaluable guidance to the winners of the Ambassador Peel Playwriting Challenge 2025. Through the award, Ambassador and PEEL want to celebrate exciting and unseen work, opening entries to anyone whether they have a stable of work or its their first play and have been daydreaming about getting their story into script form.

Susannah Daley, the founder of PEEL Entertainment, said of the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025: “The cruise industry has previously been seen as something very separate from the theatre industry, but thankfully that tide is turning, with many West End and Broadway shows transferring on to ships. 

“We are keen to show the many talented professionals working in theatre and the creative arts that ships are a major exciting outlet for their skills and creative work. With over 35 million cruise guests expected worldwide in 2025, we want to promote excellence of writing and production to be on par with the best of the best, and the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 will go some way towards achieving these aims.” 

Once finalised, the shortlisted playwrights will be invited to join Ambition for the day and get the chance to see their work performed by the team of terrific onboard actors. All plays must be under an hour in duration and suitable for performance onboard Ambassador ships with no subject off limits. The award is open to all UK & ROI entrants over the age of 18, with full guidelines and entry requirements found in the terms and conditions as featured on www.theatreatsea.com.

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