POPCORN Group have announced this year’s judging committee along with their long-list of brave and imaginative new plays for the Popcorn Writing Award.
Partnering for the first time with BBC Writersroom, Popcorn offers a prize fund of £6,000.
Opening the door for emerging writers, BBC Writersroom are reading all of the longlisted plays and members of the BBC Drama Commissioning team will offer valuable one-to-one meetings with each of the playwrights.
Names judging the award this year include Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson, Olivier Award-winning producer Francesca Moody MBE and globally celebrated portrait artist Jonathan Yeo.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has proven itself vital for launching the careers of up-and-coming talent in the arts, having been a springboard for the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Rachel Weisz.
After two years of cancellations and setbacks, the Fringe has returned this year, bringing theatre back to the forefront of the festival circuit.
The Popcorn Writing Award plays a huge part in making heard new voices in the arts, from all over the world.
The Popcorn Award 2022 longlisted plays are:
- Assisted by Greg Wilkinson, The Space UK
- Blanket Ban by Davinia Hamilton & Marta Vella, Underbelly
- Breathless by Laura Horton, Pleasance
- BROWN BOYS SWIM by Karim Khan, Pleasance
- CASTE–ING by Nicole Acquah, Summerhall
- Cassie and the Lights by Alex Howarth, Underbelly
- Daddy Issues by Anna Krauze, Pleasance
- Godot is a Woman by Silent Faces, Pleasance
- Happy Meal by Tabby Lamb, Traverse
- How to Build a Wax Figure by Isabella Waldron, Assembly
- Look at Me, Don’t Look at Me by Rash Dash, Pleasance
- Manic Street Creature by Maimuna Memon, Summerhall
- Poles: The Science of Magnetic Attraction by Amelia Pitcher, Pleasance
- Ruckus by Jenna Fincken, Summerhall
- Surfing the Holyland by Erin Hunter, Underbelly
- Svengali by Eve Nicol, Pleasance
- The Beatles Were a Boyband by Rachel O’Regan, Gilded Balloon
- The Mistake by Michael Mears, The Space UK
- Who Murdered My Cat by Roann Hassani McCloskey, Assembly
- You’re Safe Til 2024: Deep History by David Finnigan, Pleasance
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 25th August at The Gilded Balloon Library Bar.
Jess Loveland, Head of New Writing commented: “BBC Writersroom are delighted to be partnering with the Popcorn Writing Award for the first time in this exciting year for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
“It has been a real privilege for the Writersroom team to read the longlisted plays and immerse ourselves in the work of these talented emerging voices.
“We are looking forward to returning to Edinburgh this month and seeing the writers’ words brought to life on stage.”
Popcorn Group added: “We are thrilled to be back with the Popcorn Award this year and to be able to champion these wonderful emerging writers bringing their unique voices to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.”
