by Paul Johnson | Jul 27, 2021
Image: Ezra England
Ezra England wins the 2021 Playwright’s Prize with Nuclear Children a dark comedy about mental health, a submarine accident and a melon
By KEVIN WILSON
The winner of the 2021 £5,000 Platform Presents Playwright’s Prize has been announced as Nuclear Children by 21-year-old British writer, Ezra England, following the decision of a strong council of celebrity and high-profile industry judges.
The prize includes £5,000 cash and ongoing mentoring from Platform Presents, who will produce the winning script for stage and screen.
734 plays were submitted from writers based from London to Mumbai, New York to LA to Melbourne. These were shortlisted to ten finalists by the Platform Presents co-founders and script readers.
Nuclear Children is a dark comedy about mental health, a submarine accident and a melon. Following the death of her father Isla is struggling to cope; plagued with intrusive thoughts and her deteriorating mental health, she runs away to university in the hope of staying sane. As Isla finally begins to find her feet, her world, quite literally, stops making sense.
Actress, Jenna Coleman, one of the prize’s judging panel, said: “‘The more I thought about everything the less I understood it.’ Nuclear Children. Never have I read confusion so eloquently described. Being inside the mind of Isla, is like being on a spin cycle as she processes her father’s death, sieves through what it means to grow up, mental health, life and loss. The wounds of grief are so palpable and yet also funny in their, at times, absurd mundaneness. She somehow brings humour, sense and poetry to that which does not make sense. Her perpetual confusion reflected in our own. A stunning and gifted writer who chimed straight into my heart with such a startling debut. I’m so looking forward to her exciting future.”
Platform Presents founders Gala Gordon and Isabella Macpherson, said: “At Platform Presents we are always looking for writers who can produce a visceral reaction within us – whether to make us laugh out loud or feel heavy of heart, catch our breath, be surprised or feel sorrow. Ezra England’s writing stood out for this reason, in an exceptionally competitive year.”
Another of the judges, actor, writer and director Aki Omoshaybi, said: “A play that humanises the absurdity of one’s thoughts during difficult times, making the viewer/reader feel that we’re all in this together, going through it together. And that we’re all just the same… which leaves you feeling deeply connected and content.”
Casting Director, Jessica Ronane, said: “I have been honoured to be part of the judging panel for the Platform Presents Playwright’s Prize not once but twice. The plays this year have been a joy to read. Spending time with the the work of new writers is a privilege and many of the characters have stayed with me. I am thrilled that the play that won was a unanimous decision. It affected us all and what happens next for this brilliant writer and their work will be riveting. Bravo to all who submitted and the extraordinary panel also to Isabella and Gala whose energy and commitment to the next generation of theatre writers is changing the future for them.”
The judges for the 2021 Prize were: Aki Omoshaybi (Actor, Writer, Director), Amy Gardner (Producer), Emma Forrest (Writer), Ella Road (Actor, Writer), Cynthia Wu (Producer), Gala Gordon (Co-Founder Platform Presents), Helena Lee (Writer), Isabella Macpherson (Co-Founder Platform Presents), Jessica Ronane (Casting Director), Jenna Coleman (Actor), Madani Younis (Chief Executive Producer, The Shed), Pearl Mackie (Actor), Pippa Bennett-Warner (Actor), Kristín Ólafsdóttir (Producer, Director) and Victor Jenkins (Casting Director).
Platform Presents was founded in 2017 by actress Gala Gordon and producer Isabella Macpherson to give a platform to rising star talent: actors, writers and directors, with a particular interest in female voices.
The annual Playwright’s Prize is funded by Platform Presents’ annual Poetry Gala, an evening of the world’s best-loved poems performed by stars of the stage and screen.
Rhys Ifans said about the Platform Presents Poetry Gala 2020. “Any kind of platform that gives an opportunity for new, young voices to be heard in an industry that can so often seem completely impenetrable is fantastic. And already we have seen Platform Presents have great successes in catapulting writers to where they should be and encouraged and nurtured.”
www.platformpresents.com
Twitter: @platformpres
Instagram: @platformpresents
by Paul Johnson | Jun 17, 2020
Stuart Ardern – www.lazybeescripts.co.uk | www.beewaxing.wordpress.com
Stuart is the fiendish mastermind behind Lazy Bee Scripts.
In addition to the full-length pantomimes (in prose), frequently with original songs, he writes short pantomimes (generally in rhyming tetrameters), and occasional bespoke pantomimes (for wealthy corporations). He also writes one-act plays, sketches and occasional youth theatre pieces.
Cheryl Barrett – www.cherylbarrettwriter.co.uk
Cheryl Barrett loves theatre, especially pantomime and has written, directed and acted in many productions over the years playing villain, Fairy Godmother and the dafter one of the comic duo. A prolific writer, Cheryl has over a hundred published scripts, including pantomimes, full-length and one-act plays, monologues, comedy sketches and plays for schools. Cheryl is published with Lazy Bee Scripts and Spotlight Publications.
Paul Barron – www.lazybeescripts.co.uk
Paul began writing pantomimes around eight years ago and, to date, has written five full-length scripts. Two of them, A Long Time Ago (Aladdin in space) and Drac and the Beanstalk (Jack and the Beanstalk with vampires) are based on traditional stories but the other three, Once Upon A Time, Happily Ever After and The Good, The Bad and The Panto are original. Paul regularly directs his own scripts and plays dame with his local amateur theatre group.
James Barry – www.lazybeescripts.co.uk
James Barry writes and directs professional pantomimes (and other things), notably for the Princes Hall Theatre in Aldershot and the Winchester Theatre Royal (where his most recent show got a five-star review in The Stage). His pantomimes (and a few other shows) are available to amateur groups through Lazy Bee Scripts.
Peter Bond – www.peterbondauthor.com
Peter Bond has written four full-length pantomimes: Cinderella, Old King Cole, The Magic Tinderbox and, with Bob Heather, The King’s New Clothes. He has also written three one-act pantos: Mr Scrooge, Jack and the Beantin, Budget Cinderella as well as eleven ten-minute rhyming pantos. These are mostly published by Lazy Bee Scripts. e retired as a teacher several years ago in order to devote more time to writing.
Bradford & Webster – www.tobybradford.com/pantomimes
Toby Bradford & Tina Webster have written eleven pantomimes: Rapunzel, Treasure Island, Robin Hood, Sinbad, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Jack and the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty and The Prince’s Quest.
Productions of Bradford & Webster pantomimes have won awards at both local and Noda regional level. Reviews: “high-octane romp”, “packed with originality”, “laugh-a-minute”, “brilliantly funny”, “beautifully written”, “a warm, sparky, engagingly daft romp”, “full of surprises”, “good, old-fashioned panto”.
Dave Buchanan – www.spotlightpublications.com
Dave lives and works in the Kingdom of Fife and has written, produced and acted in pantomimes (mainly as the dame) for forty years.
He is the proprietor of Spotlight Publications, which employs over fifty writers and has published 131 pantos, eighteen of which are Dave’s own. His latest offering, Robin Hood & the Babes In Verse, is available now.
Leonard Caddy – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Leonard Caddy has written a host of successful scripts performed all over the country and abroad. His style faithfully follows traditional stories full of comedy situations, panto essentials and introduces new and original characters and intriguing sub-plots. Having made his first appearance at the back end of a mule, his lifetime of involvement means he understands panto from the bottom up. He’s played good, bad, slick and sloppy parts, and established a solid reputation as a dame.
Ben Crocker – www.bencrockerpantomimes.com
Ben Crocker specialises in providing traditional pantomime scripts with a modern feel. Written in short snappy sentences, Ben’s scripts are very popular, funny and actor-friendly. They are designed to appeal to all ages and free PDF reading copies are available via his website. Along with immaculate writing and craftsmanship, Ben is very relaxed about permitting companies to make changes. With nearly three hundred productions in seventeen countries this year, he is definitely getting something right!
Peter Denyer – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Peter, who died in 2009, was an accomplished actor with many stage and TV credits. He wrote his first panto in the mid-70s, since when, he followed a dual career as actor and writer. His scripts combine strong storylines and traditional comedy. In 1998 Peter adapted his portfolio for NODA members. These revised editions have clear stage directions, detailed notes on incidental music and song suggestions, casting tips, and a breakdown of requirements for scenery, costumes and props.
Chris Denys & Chris Harris – josef-weinberger.com
Co-writers Chris Denys (Late principal of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School) and Chris Harris, who passed away in 2014, wrote nine pantomimes for Bristol Old Vic. These pantos are now published and available for hire, they include: Aladdin, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, Dick Whittington and Babes in the Wood.
Stephen Duckham – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Stephen has been involved with both professional and amateur pantos for over thirty years, having directed every major title. He turned to writing in the early 90s and his work has been performed in the West End and USA. Scripts include full production notes and can be performed simply or lavishly, depending on facilities. Both traditional and modern sequences are found throughout each pantomime with a large amount of audience participation.
Alan P Frayn – www.pantomimescripts.co.uk
Alan is one of today’s most popular pantomime writers, with well over two hundred productions choosing one of his scripts again this season. Whilst traditional in style, his pantomimes are aimed firmly at present day audiences, being packed with hilarious up-to-date comedy, original, fast-moving, flexible and are also revised and updated annually.
All available from Stage Right Creative, visit the above website for full details of Alan’s twenty scripts, plus photos and reviews from previous productions.
Richard Gauntlett – Panto-Scripts.co.uk
Richard has been writing pantomime scripts for over twenty-five years and has had over one hundred professional productions performed. Richard has been resident Dame, writer and director at The Theatre Royal in Norwich for nineteen years and will next year achieve over one thousand performances in the same venue! His scripts are very popular with amateur societies blending the tradition of old routines with the Twenty-First Century kick he has become known for!
Ron Hall – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Ron Hall has been involved with the world of amateur panto for over twenty-five years. Familiar with limited facilities, small stages and little cast experience, his scripts ensure his pantomimes are easy to perform, fun and box-office successes. NODA has a choice of sixteen pantomimes by Ron Hall. Scripts contains suggested song titles and a properties list.
Bob Heather – www.dublar.co.uk
Bob has written and co-written over two dozen traditional family pantos, all published by Lazy-Bee Scripts. They contain lighting cues, props lists and notes etc. and are regularly up-dated. He has directed many pantomimes, and gives pantomime talks and workshops.
Bob is co-author of two books for pantomime writers, and has a panto cow and various other pantomime animals for hire, along with a selection of props, including a growing beanstalk.
Bob Heather & Cheryl Barrett – www.dublar.co.uk | www.cherylbarrettwriter.co.uk
Bob Heather and Cheryl Barrett have written eleven pantomimes together. Their scripts are traditional family pantomimes, as well as pantos with a modern twist, like Sheer Luck Holmes. All are suitable for amateur and professional companies. Bob and Cheryl’s scripts contain lighting cues, props lists, author’s notes, technical notes and suggested songs. They have written two books; Pantomime Writers Book of Gags and Routines and More Gags and Routines For Pantomime Writers.
Nigel Holmes – www.PantomimePantomime.co.uk
Nigel’s modern pantomime scripts have been used for professional seasons at venues such as the huge SSE Arena and in London’s West End, plus by a plethora of amateur groups across the UK and worldwide.
Dubai, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and America. His scripts are lively and relevant to today’s audiences and are constantly being updated.
EMMA HOULDERSHAW & SAMANTHA CARTWRIGHT – www.spotlightpublications.com
Emma and Samantha act, choreograph, write, produce and direct for a drama group called The Warren. They have been involved with panto for over twenty-five years and have The Wizard of Oz Pantomime, Peter Pan the Pantomime, Rapunzel, The Snow Queen, and Beauty and the Beast published with Spotlight Publications. Emma attended Sylvia Young Theatre School and has a diploma in Acting from LAMDA. Samantha reviews for Sardines magazine and has written several musical shows.
Richard Lamming www.pantomimesongs.com
Richard writes original songs and scores for musicals, creating material to fit the script. This includes digitally orchestrated backing tracks and sheet music. He started Pantomime Songs Ltd. because he feels all pantos and musicals should have specially written songs that fit the story, told by the characters – not just well-known pop songs. His catalogue includes ballads, rap, reggae, rumba and rock. He can also rework lyrics to suit specific characters.
LIMELIGHT SCRIPTS – limelightscripts.co.uk
Limelight Scripts are UK publishers and rightsholders of quality pantomime scripts. They offer traditional titles such as Cinderella, Aladdin, Dick Whittington, etc. As well as more modern titles, such as Merlin and Rapunzel. All scripts are updated on an annual basis to keep them fresh and relevant. Limelight have recently updated their website, which now offers secure browsing and purchasing. If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch with Jackie or Dennis.
Mark Llewellin – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
It was as a member of Wotton Dramatics Society that Mark discovered his love of theatre, particularly pantomime. He was MD at Oldham Coliseum Theatre for almost a decade, working with people like Les Dennis and Ken Dodd. He now runs his own PR company. Mark has also had the pleasure of co-writing a number pantomimes with Roy Barraclough MBE (who died in 2017) and John Jardine.
Robert Marlowe – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Robert Marlowe spent over fifty years in professional panto, directing as well as playing the baddie in many of them. This experience enabled him to write fully detailed scripts which add a professional gloss to amateur productions. Robert’s scripts contain detailed production notes including character analysis, advice on costumes, set etc. and instructions for the knockabout comedy for his comic duos.
Marsden & Rundle – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Keith Marsden and Geoffrey Rundle hail from Yorkshire and have over fifty years’ panto experience, writing their first script, Dick Whittington, in 1944. Sadly Geoffrey has passed away but his magical touch lives on in their panto catalogue. Marsden and Rundle appeared on stage together until 1988 with Keith playing the comic and Geoffrey playing the dame. Their valuable experience is reflected in their scripts.
PHILIP MEEKS – shop.stagescripts.com/pages/meeks-philip.html
In 2019 Philip celebrated his decade as a pantomime dame becoming one of the most in-demand dames in the UK appearing with, among others, Su Pollard, Janine Duvitski, Mark Little and Linda Lusardi. He has written pantomimes professionally for twenty years and his scripts have been performed around the world. His pantos are traditional with a modern twist, featuring plenty of roles (always strong roles for women) and some refreshing takes on the well-loved stories.
John Morley – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Apart from writing the longest running pantomime ever (Nottingham Theatre Royal, 1981), John has written almost two hundred professional pantos, with a production of Cinderella performed at the London Palladium. The Morley pantomimes that NODA provide have been revised for amateur productions, with almost no scenery or costume changes, but with ample work for small parts and the chorus.
Jack Northcott – www.jacknorthcott.co.uk
Jack Northcott writes family-friendly, flexible scripts for groups of all ages and sizes. Need extra characters or different scenery? No problem! He’ll adapt the script for you. Plus there’s a host of helpful suggestions on his website and throughout the script, if you need a bit more guidance for your show. Otherwise, let your imagination run wild. Either way, you’ll have audiences laughing and enjoying every moment with a Jack Northcott script.
Robert Pearce – www.robertpearceactor.com
Robert is a popular pantomime dame, playing the role for over ten years with some of Britain’s favourite performers. His panto scripts have been performed by amateur companies around the world. They can be bought directly, of the shelf, or tailored to suit your needs. Robert has written and directed for Haven Holidays’ summer panto touring teams and his work has also been produced professionally across the UK.
Luke Reilly – www.lazybeescripts.co.uk
Luke is a young writer from Merseyside, whose scripts are for gutsy theatre groups keen to take pantomime into the Twenty-First Century. While he retains old panto traditions, Luke adds his own modem twist and fresh approach to the age-old plots and characters. Though he gives the audience exactly what they expect from a panto, he provides it in an unexpected and amusing fashion.
REECE SIBBALD – www.ReeceSibbaldProductions.co.uk
Reece Sibbald is a writer of tried-and-tested, fresh, vibrant and funny panto scripts throughout the UK and further afield, and has a knowledge and understanding of panto that is second to none. He has performed, written and directed alongside many of the UK’s top pantomime stars including The Chuckle Brothers and five consecutive seasons as lead comic at Blackpool’s North Pier. His innovation and creativity puts a modern twist on the traditional pantomime tales.
Long & Rawnsley – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Peter Long and Keith Rawnsley are a famous comedy-writing duo with an impressive list of credits including Week Ending, The News Huddlines and The Two Ronnies, plus an association with producer John Lloyd that also took in Not The Nine O’Clock News and Spitting Image. With a long tradition in comic writing, Keith and Peter have made the eagerly awaited addition of pantomimes to their repertoire.
NORMAN ROBBINS – concordtheatricals.co.uk | josef-weinberger.com
Norman, who passed away in 2016, is one of amateur theatre’s most popular authors. He wrote his first stage show almost sixty years ago and, in his mid-twenties, made his professional debut appearing in pantomime with Ken Dodd. He has lectured on the genre’s history, published a book on the evolution of pantomime (with the title Slapstick and Sausages) and was in constant demand as an after-dinner speaker.
David Swan – www.noda.org.uk/pantos
Award-winning children’s writer, David Swan, creates scripts that have all the best elements of traditional pantomime. Plots are well structured and easily understood. Staging can be simple, using the minimum number of scene changes and requiring no expensive effects, yet can be as elaborate and spectacular as you wish. David’s panto-mimes also have comprehensive production notes.
TLC Creative – www.tlc-creative.co.uk
TLC Creative have been writing together for over a decade. With their pantomimes performed around the world they offer over a dozen titles ranging from the traditional (e.g. Aladdin and Cinderella) to something a little different (e.g. Goldilocks, Knight Fever and Sinbad the Sailor)
TLC’s pantos are packed with gags, visual routines and plenty of audience participation. Between them, TLC have almost a century of writing, acting, directing, and comedy experience.
Colin Wakefield & Kate Edgar – www.traditionalpantomimes.co.uk
Colin Wakefield has written twenty pantomimes and family musicals with composer Kate Edgar. With Roger Leach he wrote On Your Honour and Audience With Murder, and the thriller Sleep No More with David Gillespie.
Kate Edgar has composed songs and music for over thirty pantos and stage musicals and was MD for the Olivier Award-winning Return to the Forbidden Planet. She is also a theatre director and teacher..
TOM WHALLEY PANTOMIMES – www.tomwhalleypantomimes.com
Tom Whalley Pantomimes presents an ever-expanding collection of award- winning scripts specially crafted with all the traditional gags audiences love with hilarious, modern twists. After launching in 2017, Tom’s scripts have been performed by hundreds of amateur and professional theatre companies and have been enjoyed by countless thousands of families across the world accruing glowing reviews, accolades and awards in the process. The annual struggle to find the perfect pantomime script? It’s behind you.
Peter Webster – www.petepanto.co.uk
Peter has been a member of Faringdon Dramatic Society since 1988 and has now written eleven pantomimes, most of which are available from Josef Weinberger. All have premiered locally and three have won the Oxfordshire Drama Network Pantomime Competition. He has also written several one-act plays, one of which, Nighthawks, won the ODN One Act Play Competition.
Full details and synopses of all these can be found on Peter’s website.
