Russell T Davies: 'I want to write a play in the next five years'

Doctor Who and Queer as Folk writer Russell T Davies has told of his plans to pen a play in the next five years.

Talking to WhatsOnStage at the launch of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, the writer explained how he would "love" to return to theatre soon.

"I spent my teenage years into my 20s writing plays and working in theatres, so I would like to go back.

"I would love to do something in Manchester. I love that city, I love its theatres. So in the next five years I would hope that I can get something written that people will want to put on."

Davies has just been announced as a judge on the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, one of the most prestigious new writing prizes in the UK. Joining him on the panel are playwright Phil Porter, playwright Lucy Prebble, director Lyndsey Turner, actor Don Warrington, Bruntwood founder Michael Oglesby, director Matthew Xia and chair of the judges broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

On the prize, Davies commented: "Prizes like this are so important, when the arts have been cut back. We live in a terrible world in which the arts are being minimised and marginalised.

"Anyone in a theatre tonight, or involved in writing, or fiction is being dismissed as an elite by our ruling classes. It's all across the west, not just in Britain.

"It is becoming more vital than I have ever known in my entire life that we find the voice to combat that. So this comptetition is an incredible thing."

The biennial Bruntwood offers £16,000 in prize money to a writer, over the age of 16, of any background and experience for an unperformed play. The prize has been taking place since 2005 and is a partnership between commercial property company Bruntwood and the Royal Exchange in Manchester. The winning play is given a full production and four runners up are also recognised from a shortlist of ten.

In 2015, the award was given to Katherine Soper, whose play Wish List opened at the Royal Exchange before transferring to the Royal Court this year. Over ten years writers including Duncan Macmillan, Alistair McDowall and Vivienne Franzmann have been recognised.

To enter and for more details head to the Bruntwood website.