To encourage writers from as wide a demographic as possible, from all across the UK, to submit their plays Theatre Uncut have partnered with theatres in the UK’s 4 capital cities: the Young Vic in London, the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.
Submissions will open on 7 August and close on 7 October 2020. The award will be eligible for: writers based in the UK only; plays that have not yet received any kind of production; plays over 60 minutes long; writers who have had no more than two full professional productions of their work.
The company are dedicated to providing as fair a process as possible so all plays are read anonymously and the reading panel are made up of individuals with widely diverse perspectives in terms of race, sexuality, age, gender, physical ability, financial background and geographic location.
Emma Callander and Hannah Price, Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Uncut said: 'Playwrights are an integral part of society. We rely on their tenacity, imagination, bravery and skill to educate us, to move us, to challenge us. This award provides an opportunity for emerging playwrights to have their voices heard and looks towards a time when we can sit together in the theatre and share the experience of reflecting on our lives, together.'
After a longlist of 20 plays has be read by Theatre Uncut Artistic Directors Hannah Price and Emma Callander they will be joined by representatives from all partner venues, Independent Talent and Nick Hern Books to select the winner from a final shortlist of 6 plays.
The writer of the winning play will receive an award of £9,500, an agreement to option the production of the play to Theatre Uncut and the award partners, and the offer of publication by Nick Hern Books.
Emma Callander and Hannah Price will be hosting a number of online events where playwrights will have the chance to ask questions about the award and hear from the partner organisations and previous award-winning and shortlisted playwrights on the need for new political plays to digest these unprecedented times. Details of these can be found at www.theatreuncut.com
The Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award was launched in 2018, receiving 444 entries from across the UK. The wining play two Palestinians go dogging by Sami Ibrahim was due to be presented at the Royal Court in co-production with Theatre Uncut in April 2020. Set in the mid-2020s, it confronts the future Israeli-Palestinian conflict through an extraordinary genre-exploding story of a flawed family. Shortlisted play The Merthyr Stigmatist by Lisa Parry, that tells the story of a 16 year old schoolgirl who claims she has stigmata, will receive its premiere at the Sherman Theatre, directed by Emma Callander.
Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director at the Young Vic said:
'Building a new world begins with imagining one. That is why it is vital to support writers who scrutinise the world as it is, and who imagine the world as it could be. We are delighted that the Young Vic and Theatre Uncut continue their collaboration on the Political Playwriting Award, so that together we can champion writers who are unafraid to ask the big questions of our time. The Award offers real and meaningful opportunities to writers with bold vision and voice to forge a path into – and shake up – our theatre landscape.'
Theatre Uncut aims 'to provoke debate and galvanise action by making new political theatre available for everyone, everywhere.' Since 2011, their work has been performed by over 8,000 people in 26 countries.
Their digital production of 'Bubble' by Kieran Hurley has been viewed by over 180,000 people online, and is also available for schools and universities to use rights free until 2023.
So far the company have worked with 53 writers from 16 countries. Heading into their 10th year, Theatre Uncut say they 'are determined to keep finding and promoting new voices during a period where there is uncertainty over the opening theatre buildings.'