Birmingham REP announces judging panel and shortlist for Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy

Eight new plays have been shortlisted and a team of panelists have been chosen

Troy Harrison | Wednesday 27th March 2024 4:54pm

Earlier today, Sean Foley, Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre announced the panel and shortlist of eight new plays for the first playwriting prize that is dedicated to the art of comedy. The Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy is created in partnership with The Victoria Wood Foundation and supported by BBC Comedy. 

The panellists that will be joining Sean Foley are BAFTA-winning actor, Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror), BAFTA-winning actor and broadcaster, Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls, Disney Plus’ Extraordinary), West End and Broadway producer, Tegan Summer (Marilyn! The New Musical), playwright Tanika Gupta (A Doll’s House), and television producer Piers Wenger (I May Destroy You, His Dark Materials).

When asked about joining the panel, Daniel Rigby said, “I’m thrilled to be on the panel for the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize. Victoria was an absolute comedic icon and her writing sparkled effortlessly with wit, wisdom and side-splitting humour. I look forward to meeting some great new comedy writing for the stage.”

• Shortlisted, the eight plays are:
• Bring me the Head of Miriam Margolyes by Andrew Pollard
• Hello Charlie by Caoimhe Farren
• Bum by Ed Amsden and Tom Coles
• Goodbye Suzzie Jenkins by Ben Callon
• Reach for the Stats by Jenny Knotts
• Portugal by Eugene O’Hare
• Sidekicked by Partick Maguire
• Fake Melania by Poppy Corbett

The names of the four finalists will be revealed to the public on Monday 13th May, and the winner will be announced at a special ceremony, which will be held at The Rep on Wednesday 15th May. 

Sean Foley said, “It’s a personal thrill that The Rep created the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize. To have a new playwriting prize in our industry is a cause for celebration itself - never has the need for supporting new plays been greater - but to have this prize dedicated to the art of Comedy, perhaps the most difficult genre of all, is ground-breaking.

The Rep is proud that the home of the Prize is in the UK’s most diverse and youngest City, the city of one of Victoria’s major collaborators, Dame Julie Walters, and the city of so many contemporary comedians and writers such as Sir Lenny Henry, Joe Lycett, and Meera Syal, CBE, FRSL.  It is, of course, also the city where Victoria Wood herself went to university to study Drama.

As a major theatre celebrating the difficult art of making people laugh, we hope to become a national home for theatrical comedy - where writing, developing, and creating art is taken seriously.”

The winner will be awarded £25,000, £10,000 will be used as the commission of their play, and they will also be given a special award designed by The Rep’s workshops.

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