Breed shortlisted for 20th Meyer-Whitworth Award

We're over the moon that Lou's thrilling play BREED has been short-listed for the 20th Meyer-Whitworth Award. 

The play - following a young girl's attempt to escape the murky world of illegal dog fighting - premiered at Theatre503 in September 2010. It was directed by Tim Roseman and starred John Michie (Taggart) and rising star Jessie Cave (Harry Potter).

"The play grips throughout ... effortlessly good performances" (Telegraph)
"beautiful acting... gritty, savage... arresting" (Times)
"a pedigree production" (Time Out)
"Theatre503 have another sure fire hit on their hands" (British Theatre Guide)
"a strong offering by a clearly talented writer" (WhatsOnStage)

With a prize fund of £10,000, the Meyer-Whitworth Award is one of the largest annual monetary prizes for playwriting in the UK. It is intended to help further the careers of UK playwrights who are not yet established. The award is made to the writer whose play, in the Judges’ opinion, most satisfies the following description:

• a play which embodies Geoffrey Whitworth’s dictum that “drama is important in so far as it reveals the truth about the relationships of human beings with each other and the world at large”
• a play which shows promise of a developing new talent
• a play in which the writing is of individual quality

The winner of the award will be announced later in the year. 

Previous winners are-

1991 Award inaugurated

1992 (1st Award): Roy MacGregor for Our Own Kind

1993 (2nd Award): Philip Ridley for The Fastest Clock in the Universe

1994 (3rd Award): Diane Samuels for Kindertransport

1995 (4th Award): Jointly – Terry Johnson for Hysteria & Billy Roche for The Cavalcaders

1996 (5th Award): Michael Wynne for The Knocky

1997 (6th Award): Conor McPherson for This Lime Tree Bower

1998 (7th Award): Jointly – Moira Buffini for Gabriel and Daragh Carville for Language Roulette

1999 (8th Award): David Harrower for Kill the Old Torture their Young

2000 (9th Award): Kate Dean for Down Red Lane

2001 (10th Award): Ray Grewal for My Dad’s Corner Shop

2002 (11th Award): Jointly – Gregory Burke for Gagarin Way and Henry Adam for Among Broken Hearts

2003 (12th Award): Gary Owen for Shadow of a Boy

2004 (13th Award): Owen McCafferty for Scenes from the Big Picture

2005 (14th Award): Steve Thompson for Damages

2006 (15th Award): Dennis Kelly for Osama the Hero

2007 (16th Award): Morna Pearson for Distracted

2008 (17th Award): Hassan Abdulrazzak for Baghdad Wedding 

2009 (18th Award): Ali Taylor for Cotton Wool

2010 (19th Award): Natasha Langridge for Shraddha