Reading for the Theatre Uncut Award
Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award #2
Finding the next generation of political playwrights to explore the big issues that affect our lives today.
I am very honoured to be working as a reader for the second year of the TUPP Award - their ethos of democratic, light of foot theatre that responds to the present moment and effects change is one that I am also passionate about, and it’s thrilling to see what the award offers to the most promising writers. I am so looking forward to seeing the varied work of playwrights all over the UK!
It’s also bringing back fond memories of 2017 when I judged on the wonderful Koestler Award for inmates, secure patients and detainees.
The TUPP Award aims to find the next generation of political playwrights that want to explore the big issues that affect our lives today. At a time where questioning the political fabric of society feels particularly important, Theatre Uncut and partners are looking for brand new full-length plays for stage that examine the political in its widest sense - from the domestic to the global.
“We want to encourage writers across the UK to explore politics in all its forms, examine how politics affects all human existence and discover how politics can live at the heart of theatre. We want to find the best, the bravest and most exciting new voices in theatre and give them a platform to explore their ideas on stage.”
Theatre Uncut have worked with over 50 leading and emerging playwrights in response to current events.
The Theatre Uncut Award was launched in 2018 and quickly became the UK’s most prestigious political playwriting award in partnership with the Young Vic, the Traverse Theatre and the Sherman Theatre.
Last year they received over 400 script submissions exploring many of the world’s most urgent issues, written by the fresh raw voices of the UK’s playwriting scene.
The winning play of the first Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award, two Palestinians go dogging by Sami Ibrahim, will be co-produced with the Royal Court directed by Omar Elerian, and a shortlisted play The Merthyr Stigmatist by Lisa Parry will be co-produced with the Sherman Theatre directed by Theatre Uncut Co-Artistic Director Emma Callander.
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, as well as Nick Herne Books and Independent Talent.
All plays are read anonymously with all name and background details hidden from the reader so the work is judged on talent alone.
“Theatre Uncut isn’t just a performance, it’s an idea: that theatre can be immediately responsive to world events, engender discussion and effect change.”