Shortlist 2021
Sonali Bhattacharyya - Chasing Hares
Sonali Bhattacharyya is a playwright whose credits include Megaball (National Theatre Learning), Slummers (Cardboard Citizens/Bunker Theatre), The Invisible Boy (Kiln Theatre), 2066 (Almeida Theatre) and Two Billion Beats (Orange Tree Theatre). She is a graduate of the Royal Court Writers' Group and the inaugural Old Vic 12, and was Channel 4 Writer in Residence at the Orange Tree. Her play Deepa the Saint was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting. She is currently under commission to the Almeida Theatre, Fifth Word, Tara Arts and Kiln Theatre, is writer in residence at National Theatre Studio, and is taking part in the Donmar Warehouse’s Future Forms programme.
David Finnigan - 44 Sex acts in one week
David is a London-based playwright from Ngunawal country in Australia. He works with research scientists to produce theatre about climate and global change. In 2017 his playscript Kill Climate Deniers was awarded the Griffin Playwrights Award: it has since been produced in more than 10 cities worldwide. David’s solo show You’re Safe Til 2024 was performed at the Sydney Opera House in 2019. David is a Churchill Fellow, an associate of interactive theatre company Coney in the UK and the Sipat Lawin Ensemble in the Philippines. https://davidfinig.com
Photo credit: Leanne Dixon
Lorna French - Esther
Lorna French is currently under commission to Pentabus Theatre Company and Limbik Theatre. She is a past two-time winner of the Alfred Fagon Award (winning for Safe House in 2006 and City Melodies in 2016). In 2020 Lorna presented her short play I See You Now at Jermyn Street Theatre and No Further Action for Menagerie Theatre Company and Cambridge University. In 2019 her play Esther was developed via a Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England. She also co-adapted Jane Eyre with Janys Chambers for Bolton Octagon in 2018. Lorna has also presented work at Birmingham Rep, Theatre 503, Young Vic, MAC, Belgrade Theatre, New Wolsey Theatre and Oval House. She has also written for Eclipse Theatre, Menagerie Theatre, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Asian Network.
Louise Gooding - Burnout
Louise lives and works in London. She began writing plays when her third child started nursery and hasn’t stopped since. Her first play was produced on Radio 4 and since then she has written a number of plays for BBC radio including: AIRE AND ANGELS – about John Donne’s secret marriage (2000); SHARP FOCUS –about Tom Hurndall, the young peace activist killed in the Gaza Strip (2004); OUT OF THE ASHES – about a young arsonist (2003); THE CHANGING ROOM – 5 short plays for Women’s Hour (2006). She was invited to join the Royal Court Theatre Studio Group and also the Sheffield Theatres’ Writers’ Group. In 2012 she was selected by competition to join the Escalator Writers attachment scheme to HighTide Festival Theatre. Work for theatre includes MAPPING THE DEEP developed with HighTide, given a rehearsed reading there; CUPCAKES - a short play at Octagon Theatre Bolton; GOLD COAST at Theatre 503; MIRROR ME (with co-writer Catriona Kerridge) a play with music for young children at Greenwich Theatre, Broadway Theatre Barking and the Pleasance, Edinburgh Fringe where it received a 5 star review. She is currently developing a new theatre project with the veterans’ charity Combat Stress.
Afsaneh Gray - Give a man a bible
Afsaneh Gray is a playwright and screenwriter of mixed Iranian/Jewish heritage, currently based in London. In 2019, her play THE BORDER (**** The Stage) toured schools and venues nationally with Theatre Centre. Previous credits include the critically acclaimed OCTOPUS, an anarchic comedy about what it means to be British, which premiered at the Assembly Box at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival (subsequent transfer to Theatre503 and ACE-funded UK tour); and AND THE CROWD (WEPT), a verbatim opera drawn from media reports of the death of Jade Goody, which premiered as a work-in-progress showing to critical acclaim (“Both satirical and sad” The Guardian) at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival at the Riverside Studios in 2013. She has been a member of the Bush Theatre Emerging Writers' Group, the Orange Tree Writers' Collective, the Royal Court Studio Group and the Soho Young Writers' Group. She is currently under commission by Audible, is part of the Independent Film Trust's Elevate Writers' Room, and has a treatment in development with UKTV as part of the Comedy 50:50 initiative.
Julia Grogan - Playfight
Julia Grogan is 24, grew up in the Midlands and moved to London to train as an actor at Rose Bruford College, graduating in 2018. Shortly after graduating, she started working behind the bar at the Royal Court Theatre and was invited to join their Royal Court Intro Writers’ Group. As a result, she wrote Playfight, her first play. Julia co-wrote dark historical comedy Belly Up which premiered at the Vault Festival 2020 and will be performed at the Underbelly at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival. Her solo show Bubble Wrap was performed at Spotlight Studios in 2018, where it was reprised for their annual Best of the Year event. She is currently working on a new pitch-black comedy Dark Side of June. Acting work includes: At Sea (BBC Radio 4), Belly Up (VAULT), Island Town (Catalyst Festival)
Jordon Grant - Great Northern Divers
Born in Coventry. Raised in the North East. Jordon studied playwriting with Stephen Jeffreys at RADA.