Artificial Intelligence, erasure, coercion, faith, unrequited love and social housing amongst subjects explored within the five shortlisted plays announced as contenders for the 2024 George Devine Award.
The George Devine Award today announces its 2024 Shortlist of five playwrights. Formed in 1966 in memory of the Royal Court’s founding Artistic Director George Devine, the Award is recognised as one of the most prestigious in new writing and seeks to shine a light on a playwright of promise. The winner will receive a prize of £15,000 in support of their future as a playwright. Former winners include Tife Kusoro, Tyrell Williams, Alice Birch, Nick Payne and Lucy Prebble.
The 2024 Shortlist is:
Christopher Adams for PROGRESSION
Progression follows a burgeoning affair between Mark, a PHD student, and his supervisor Dr Caleb Cartwright, despite their existing relationships and a new policy banning staff/student relationships. As Mark’s research deepens, he uncovers a damning history of censorship and erasure that has consequences for his relationship with Caleb.
Christopher Adams is a British-American playwright and screenwriter. Plays include Tumulus (Soho Theatre), Antigone (Actors of Dionysus) and Finding Mr Hart (BeingHuman Festival). His screen adaptation of the 1950s queer novel Finistère is in development with Hirsch Giovanni Entertainment.
Stella Green for THE BOOK OF ALICE
When Aubrey returns to the last place her long lost mother was seen, she is met by an ex-priest, Alice, and her son, Malachi, who are also anticipating the return of a family member. As ruptures begin to form between who is and is not there, Aubrey accidentally sets in motion the fulfilment of a prophecy when Alice decides she is the saint God told her about who will bring missing people home.
Stella Green is a writer and theatre maker, most recently working with New Diorama and Orange Tree Theatre. Her debut play was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting. Stella is currently a member of the Royal Court Writer’s Group 2025.
Benjamin Kuffuor for WORKING MEN
Working Men is a play about money and social housing. On an old council estate, a team of men have been deployed to price up works to improve the standard of living for tenants. When a fatal incident occurs on that estate a few months later, those same men are forced to retrace their steps, as the senior management team, local councillors/MPs and the wider public are in search of someone to blame.
Benjamin Kuffuor’s work is for stage and screen. He has worked on attachment at the National Theatre, under commission at the Bush and was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 2022. For screen, he has developed original projects and contributed in writers’ rooms for Netflix, BBC, Channel 4 and Amazon. His debut short film as writer/director screened in multiple festivals internationally, as well as BIFA-qualifying festivals in the UK.
Temi Majekodunmi for POSITIVE
Recently single Malachi is hellbent on exploring his sexuality in any way he sees fit. His best friend Ade is secretly in love with him and hiding the fact he’s HIV positive, unsure of how to broach any of this with Malachi. We follow the two friends as they try to figure out what love means and how they can live their lives truthfully.
Temi, a graduate of East15 Acting School, debuted with The Life of Olu at Soho Theatre’s Rising Festival 2022. His second play, Thicker Than Water, was long-listed for the Alfred Fagon: Mustapha Matura Award and shortlisted for the 2023 Adopt A Playwright Award. His third play, Positive, was shortlisted for the 2023 Alfred Fagon Award and 2024 New Diorama Edinburgh Untapped Award. Writing groups include Kiln, Almeida, Soho, Bush, London Library and Royal Court.
Isabella Waldron for CHATTER
Chatter is a queer Pseudo-Southern Gothic love story gone wrong. On a dark and stormy night, Sweet Thing returns home to discover her partner, Darlin, has left her. Sweet Thing turns to her AI-generative companion, Chatter, to rewrite their love story and uncover her mistakes. As the Chatter-written scenes unfold, darker truths about Sweet Thing’s relationships emerge.
Isabella is an Oregon-born, London-based writer. Her play how to build a wax figure (Assembly/November Theatre) premiered at Edinburgh Fringe to critical acclaim. Plays Jawbone, Things I Never Told The Stars & Chatter were selected as semi-finalists for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival. She is currently under commission with Nottingham Playhouse and is a part of Southwark Theatre’s 2024 Forge Residency.
The judging panel of award-winning theatre professionals for 2024 are writer and director Jon Brittain, writer, actor and director Mark Gatiss, writers Abi Morgan and Vinay Patel and former George Devine Award recipients Diana Nneka Atuona and Theresa Ikoko. They will now decide upon the recipient of this year’s Award, who will be announced in December.
Olivier Award-winning Playwright and 2024 Award judge Jon Brittain said:
‘I’m very honoured to be part of the judging panel for the George Devine Award this year. The plays we’re reading are complex, dreamy, provocative, intelligent, sexy, sensitive, messy, funny, sad and deeply human. These are writers grappling with hot topics – the role of AI, alienation, hyper-connectivity, erasure – but also age-old questions of love, guilt, anger and forgiveness. I feel both inspired and deeply threatened by the talent on display. In a time of uncertainty for our sector, these are all plays that deserve to be seen. It’s a privilege to be able to champion them.’
Royal Court Associate Playwright and 2024 Award judge Vinay Patel said:
‘This year’s shortlisted plays reflect a restlessness about where we are now. Yet none of them arrive at easy or cynical answers, with each writer working with a refreshing curiosity to pull threads of wit, joy and empathy from the knottiest of situations.’
Former George Devine Award recipient and 2024 Award judge Diana Nneka Atuona said:
‘The quality of submissions this year have been especially strong and varied. Selecting the winner will be no easy task.’
