BELLY OF THE BEAST Premieres at the Finborough Theatre in April

The world premiere staged reading of Belly of the Beast by Saana Sze, winner of the 2022 ETPEP Award, plays for one night at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre on Saturday, 15 April 2023 at 7.30pm.

YoungMartha, a bright and agreeable student, falls in love with Gia, who has had enough of school and teachers that don't care about girls like her...

NowMartha enters the teaching industry, optimistic about making a positive change, but soon begins a quick journey towards disillusionment when they realise the corporate hell they're in...

Black, non-binary and queer, YoungMartha and NowMartha are set against rigid systems which insist they conform.

Belly of the Beast examines school politics, from the standpoint of both student and a teacher, as it asks "What are schools for?"

31 year old Saana Sze is a queer British-Ugandan writer/educator, living in East London. They worked in Front of House theatre for over three years. Their first theatre commission, Claudia Jones, was created for a young audience with Blue Elephant Theatre, as part of BET's Celebrating Black Voices series. Belly of the Beast is Saana's first full length play.

Saana will receive a prize of £8,000, a development relationship with the Finborough Theatre including one-to-one dramaturgy with Finborough Theatre Artistic Director and playwright Neil McPherson; a rehearsal workshop with actors and a director to develop the play; and a staged reading performance of the winning play either at the Finborough Theatre; and publication by Salamander Street, independent publisher of theatre, performance and live art. There will be ten runner-up prizes of £400 each, including for the two shortlist candidates - Eva Lily and Jacko Pook.

Director Lakesha Arie-Angelo returns to the Finborough Theatre where she was a Resident Assistant Director, assisting on P'Yongyang and Treasure.

Lakesha is a Theatre Director, Writer, Dramaturg, Facilitator and Associate Director at Soho Theatre. Direction includes The Color Purple (UK Tour for Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome), Sikisa-Life of the Party (Pleasance Edinburgh and Soho Theatre), Shuck 'n' Jive (Soho Theatre), soft animals (Soho Theatre), Summer Fest (Bunker Theatre), The Hoes (Hampstead Theatre), Alive Day (Bunker Theatre), AS:NT (Theatre503 as part of Rapid Write Response) and Prodigal (Bush Theatre for Artistic Directors of the Future Black Lives: Black Words). Staff Direction includes Trouble in Mind (National Theatre). Assistant Direction includes The One, Touch, Blueberry Toast and Roller Diner (2017 West End Wilma Award for Best Comedy) (all Soho Theatre). Writing includes Ancestors (National Youth Theatre) and Graveyard Gang (Richmix, Poplar Union and Community Tour). Dramaturgy includes Aftertaste by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth (National Youth Theatre Ireland), and Everyday by Paula Garfield (New Diorama Theatre).

The ETPEP Award is a playwriting prize for new UK playwrights who work or have worked in the theatre industry, run by the Finborough Theatre in association with the Experienced Theatre Practitioners Early Playwriting Trust (ETPEP).

The ETPEP Award was open to UK residents of any age who have not had a play professionally produced, and who have worked front of house, in administrative roles, on stage, backstage, lighting, design etc. or in a creative capacity in theatre for at least two years, either now or in the past. The award is intended to target and encourage those who are currently working in theatre but who are new to playwriting, and is judged completely anonymously until the final shortlist and interview stage.

The judges for the 2022 Award included Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre and playwright Neil McPherson; Literary Manager of the Finborough Theatre and playwright Sue Healy; producer Ameena Hamid; actor, playwright and activist Athena Stevens; and Clive Webster of the Experienced Theatre Practitioners Early Playwriting Trust, which founded the award.

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