Outside Edge Theatre Company announces finalists for the inaugural 2020 Phil Fox playwriting award

Outside Edge Theatre Company has announced the finalists for the inaugural Phil Fox Award for Playwriting, after receiving 350 entries.

The UK’s only theatre company and participatory arts charity focused on addiction have whittled it down to five finalists: Sarah Connors (for Pushing On Open Doors), Silas Parry (for Lessons For Diving), Kristian Phillips (for Drift), Jack Robson (for What’s Lost In The Gaps) and Jack Stanley (for Boomerang).

The prize has been created to recognise original scripts by playwrights on the topic of addiction. It welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and experience levels. The winner will be announced on 4 November, with the recipient receiving a £6,000 commission and mentoring by Tony award-winning playwright, Enda Walsh.

Walsh is also the chair of the judging panel alongside other leading industry figures: Matt Applewhite (Nick Hern Books Managing Director and Commissioning Editor), Barbara Broccoli OBE (Film Producer), Sonya Hale (OETC Associate Theatre Facilitator and Heretic Voices award-winning playwright), Indhu Rubasingham (Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre), Matt Steinberg (OETC Artistic Director) and Simon Stephens (Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright of The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time).

Walsh said: “I’d like to congratulate and commend those writers who’ve made the final shortlist for the inaugural Phil Fox Award. Each one has exhibited exceptional skill and sensitivity around this subject - and have built their own extraordinary singular worlds. It’s tremendously exciting and also a daunting proposition to now try and choose a winner.”

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