Winner of the Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize 2017, and £10,000, is actor Simon Bradbury for his play The Last Act of Love of J B Moliere, with writer and lecturer Gerry Linford taking the Highly Commended prize of £1,500 for his play A Prayer to Saint Cajetan.
The Last Act is set in 1673, when playwriting and acting was a risky business. It imagines the playwright Molière’s last days as, knowing his death is near, he prepares to put on a performance of The Imaginary Invalid.
Simon’s play is inspired by his own years on stage in the US, UK, and Canada.