Theatre Uncut announces new political playwriting award

Theatre Uncut has announced the UK's first political writing award, which aims to find the next generation of political playwrights.

The company, which commissions leading playwrights to respond to current events through short plays, will give an award of £9,500 to the winner of the competition along with an agreement to option the production of the play.

A full length play, which examines the political in both a global and domestic sense, is being sought out. Submissions will open on 1 September 2018 and will close on 1 November 2018.

The longlist of 30 plays will be read by Theatre Uncut artistic directors Hannah Price and Emma Callander, and then 10 plays will be read by artistic directors of the partner venues – Kwame Kwei Armah of the Young Vic, Rachel O'Riordan of Sherman Theatre and Orla O'Loughlin of Traverse Theatre. Winners will be judged by a panel of them alongside invited guests.

The widest demographoc of playwrights are encouraged to submit plays, with Theatre Uncut welcoming writers of any age, race, class, sexual orientation and gender identification.

Kwei-Armah said "Theatre, and the plays staged within them, has always provided a platform to say something about the world that we live in. The announcement of this new political playwright award by Theatre Uncut is a way for the next generation of playwrights to continue that tradition and I can't wait to hear their voices."