Theatre News

2020 Popcorn Writing Awards winners revealed – watch Kit Harington, Sharon D Clarke and more perform extracts

The writing awards celebrate the best new plays due to be performed this year

Jennifer Lunn, Kit Harington and Sharon D Clarke
Jennifer Lunn, Kit Harington and Sharon D Clarke
© Popcorn Group
This year's Popcorn Writing Prize winners have been revealed.

Jennifer Lunn picked up the top prize for her new piece Es and Flo, which was due to be performed at the Traverse Theatre this year but was sadly postponed.

It follows a lesbian couple that has secretly been in love and living together for over 30 years. One of the pair then begins show signs of dementia – you can watch an extract performed by Sharon D Clarke and Celia Imrie below.

Lunn picked up a cash prize of £2,500 for the play, and said today: "It's an absolute honour to receive this award especially in this strange year as we wait to be able to put the play and these characters in front of an audience. A huge thanks to The Popcorn Group for choosing a story celebrating a diverse and intersectional group of women and thanks to Wales Millennium Centre for their unstinting support of this production. And of course, the prize itself is the gift all writers need – time to write. Thank you so much!"

The other finalists include Matilda Ibini (awarded £1,500) and Chris Thompson (£1,000) with Camilla Whitehill receiving a special mention (£500). You can watch further extracts below.

The winning pieces were chosen by a panel including Golden Globe-winner Ruth Wilson, Olivier nominated producer Francesca Moody, singer/songwriter Aurora, Gonzalo Maza writer of the Academy Award-winning A Fantastic Woman and BAFTA-winning actress Wunmi Mosaku.