Theatre News: Longlist Revealed For Debut ‘Women’s Prize For Playwriting’

Last Friday, the longlist for the first winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwrighting was revealed. The scheme was created by Ellie Keel Productions and Paines Plough last year, in order to showcase aspiring female playwrights.

Keel and Plough’s longlist will be reduced into a shortlist with careful consideration from their expert judging panel in the coming weeks. The panel comprises of Sarah Frankcom (Artistic Director of LAMDA), playwright Ella Hickson, actress Monica Dolan, theatre producer Kate Pakenham, and actress and playwright Maxine Peake.

Their winning prize has been set at £12,000, with the others being revealed in due course.

Keel said: “We understand the intimidating nature of submitting your work to a prize, especially early on in your writing career, and we welcomed plays at all stages of development and from writers from all backgrounds.”

We’re delighted to share the names of our longlisted writers with you, selected by our expert team of readers from 1,169 submissions.

We’re grateful to all writers who sent us their plays — we were overwhelmed by their quality and brilliance. https://t.co/1kB761ykwc

- The Women’s Prize for Playwriting (@WomensPlayPrize) July 31, 2020

The longlist is as follows:

• Afsaneh Gray
• Alice Allemano
• Alison Carr
• Amanda Wilkin
• Amy Rhianne Milton
• Amy Trigg
• Babirye Bukilwa
• Bisola Elizabeth Alabi
• Caitlin McEwan
• Camilla Whitehill
• Caroline Loncq
• Charlotte Thompson
• Chino Odimba
• Chloe Yates
• Ciara Cassoni
• Ciara Elizabeth Smyth
• Deborah Acheampong
• Eilidh Nurse
• Elizabeth Chan
• Elspeth Penny
• Eve Leigh
• Frances Grin
• Gaia Sorcha Fenn
• Georgina Burns
• Holly McKinlay
• Isley Lynn
• Jacqui Honess-Martin
• Jane Bodie
• Janine McEwan
• Jennifer Lunn
• Jenny Knotts
• Jessica Luxembourg
• Jessica Norman
• Julia Grogan
• Julie Tsang
• Kim Taylor
• Lao Lee
• Laura McGrady
• Lisa Carroll
• Lorna French
• Lucy Bell
• Madeleine Accalia
• Miriam Battye
• Naomi Obeng
• Naomi Sheldon
• Natalie Mackinnon
• Natasha Collie
• Olivia Hannah
• Olivia Hennessy
• Rosie MacPherson
• Sam Potter
• Sandy Foster
• Sara Shaarawi
• Sarah Gordon
• Saskia Livingstone
• Selma Dimitrijevic
• Shaan Sahota
• Silva Semerciyan
• Sonali Bhattacharyya
• Sophia Chetin-Leuner
• Sorcha McCaffrey
• Stefanie Reynolds
• Stella Green
• Tife Kusoro
• Tutku Barbaros
• Victoria Barclay
• Yolanda Mercy

Words by Olivia Devereux-Evans

Originally published at https://www.indiependent.co.uk on August 7, 2020.