A panel of judges, including Young Vic artistic director David Lan, playwright Mark Ravenhill, director Mike Bradwell, literary agent Julia Tyrrell and Soho Theatre associate director Nina Steiger, has selected five works to be shortlisted for the inaugural Adrian Pagan Playwright Award.
The winner, announced on 2 December, will receive £2,000 and his or her work will receive a production in May next year at the King's Head new writing space, The Hope Theatre.
The shortlisted five are
- Kitchen Sinking by Gina Gough
- Dead Party Animals by Thomas Pickles
- Dissolution by Isobel Middleton
- My Darling Wife by Isaac Ssebandeke
- The Visitor by Remi Rachuba
Adrian Pagan was a stage manager before turning to writing; he won the Verity Bargate Award and his work has been seen at the Bush Theatre and the Cock Tavern Theatre. This new award is available to theatre professionals who are not known as playwrights.
Edinburgh double–bill Sandpits Avenue and League of St George plays The Hope Theatre until the end of the month and new musical Ushers: The Front of House Musical opens on 3 December.