Consumed by Karis Kelly has been selected from more than 850 submissions and eight finalists to win The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2021.
Kelly said, “I’m absolutely blown away to be the winner of the 2021 Women’s Prize for Playwriting. In today’s theatre ecology, we really do need programmes that highlight female and female identifying voices. I’m so proud to be a part of its legacy. Like many others in the arts, during the pandemic, I had a complete crisis of faith and was considering a complete career change! So, to go from that point to receiving recognition from such an amazing prize and panel of judges is genuinely a dream come true.”
Kelly receives £12,000 for her play which is about four generations of Northern Irish women. Previously, she was literary assistant at the Bush Theatre and literary associate at Theatre503. Currently, as the recipient of the Peggy Ramsay Bursary she is the writer in residence at The Lyric, Belfast.
The competition was judged by Arifa Akbar, Mel Kenyon (chair), Lucy Kirkwood, Jasmine Lee-Jones, Winsome Pinnock, Indhu Rubasingham, Jenny Sealey, Nina Steiger, Nicola Walker and Jodie Whittaker.
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting is in its second year and is produced by Ellie Keel and Paines Plough with Principal Partner 45North and in association with Sonia Friedman Productions.