Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting Launches 10th Anniversary Competition; Submissions Accepted
By: Matt Smith Jan. 31, 2015
The 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting opens its 10th anniversary competition today. Writers of all levels of experience are invited to enter plays, which must be original, unperformed and unproduced. The winner will receive a prize of £16,000 and a full production of their play at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The competition is a unique partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre and property company Bruntwood.
To mark the 10thanniversary of the Prize, Bruntwood and the Royal Exchange Theatre have commissioned the acclaimed photographer Simon Annand to photograph a selection of British playwrights in the places where they work and find inspiration. The resulting photographs will be exhibited at the Royal Exchange Theatre from April 2015.
The 2013 Bruntwood Prize was won by Anna Jordan's play YEN, which will receive its world premiere at the Royal Exchange from 18th February 2015.
Also premiering at the Royal Exchange later this year will be THE ROLLING STONE by Chris Urch, which was a winner of a Judges Award at the 2013 Bruntwood Prize. The production will be directed by award-winning director Ellen McDougall.
Sarah Frankcom, Bruntwood Prize judge, and Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange, said: "I really want to discover a play or a writer that is such a game changer it will redefine what a play can be and how it can connect with audiences. We're excited about producing two Bruntwood winners at the Royal Exchange this year. I can't wait to see what we find this time around."
Michael Oglesby, Bruntwood Prize judge, and Founder and Chair of Bruntwood, said "What we want is writers who think big and aren't afraid to take on challenging subjects or write for large spaces. Since we founded the Bruntwood Prize ten years ago it has grown into a prize of major significance. The writers who have won previously have gone on to great things and I hope we find more great talent this year."
The judging panel for this year's prize will be chaired by Nicholas Hytner, former Artistic Director of the National Theatre. The full judging panel is as follows:
- Nicholas Hytner (former Artistic Director, National Theatre)
- Sarah Frankcom (Artistic Director, Royal Exchange Theatre)
- Vivienne Franzmann (playwright and former Bruntwood winner)
- Ramin Gray (Artistic Director, Actors Touring Company)
- Bryony Lavery (playwright)
- Michael Oglesby CBE (Chairman, Bruntwood)
- Miranda Sawyer (writer and broadcaster)
- Meera Syal CBE (actor and writer).
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open to writers in the UK and Ireland aged 16 and over.
Entries can be submitted online at www.writeaplay.co.uk The closing date is 6pm on 5th June 2015.
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is Britain's biggest playwriting competition. This round will mark the 10th anniversary of the Prize, which has supported the development and productions of a significant number of playwrights since its inception in 2005. 17 playwrights have been awarded a total of £160,000. There have been thirteen critically acclaimed productions of winning entries, as well as a number of productions of plays elsewhere that were identified through the judging process.
Over 9,000 entries have been generated from across the United Kingdom and winning playwrights have gone on to have work produced at the Royal Court Theatre, Almeida Theatre, on Broadway and in the West End. It is a significant investment in playwrights and support for new work on stage. More information about the Prize can be found at www.writeaplay.co.uk/about.
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