Ambassador Cruise Line and PEEL Entertainment Group have unveiled the shortlist for the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025, selected from a wave of national submissions.
This innovative award was created to celebrate and showcase emerging writing talent at a time when opportunities for new playwrights are increasingly scarce.
The shortlisted playwrights are Tony Pipes (The Understudy), Michael Davies (The Seagull Has Landed), Clare Shaw (Mr Sisyphus), Rhys Bevan (The Early Years), James Rushbrooke (Fur and Loathing / Claws for Concern), Huw Turnbull (Venison), Mary Portalska (Nick of Time), Bryan Moriarty (The Splintered Globe), Keiran Lines (Equilibrium), Brian Murray (The Odyssey (re-Told)), and Claudia Feilding (Tea Leaves).
Susannah Daley, founder of PEEL Entertainment and chair of the judging panel, said:
“The plays we have received have been numerous and wide ranging in subject matter and style. Many of them have been outstanding, making choosing a shortlist extremely challenging! We have had restoration comedies, modern thrillers, Greek styled tragedies and comedies, and wonderful contemporary concepts challenging the way we look at the world.”
The winning play will be produced as part of the Theatre@Sea programme and staged onboard Ambassador’s ship Ambition in 2025.
The winner will also receive a £6,000 cash prize and a free cruise for two in 2026.
Theatre@Sea has been running for over 25 years, with the last three in partnership with Ambassador Cruise Line. It has staged a wide range of productions onboard both Ambience and Ambition to great acclaim.
“The Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 award is the first of its kind to take place on a cruise ship, making new waves for both the theatre and travel industry!” added Daley.
“Our audiences at the regional readings are in for some super excerpts and of course the winning performance will play to many thousands of Ambassador’s cruise guests, who we know will be excited to see the new work on stage.”
The judging panel includes Dr Jessica Lazar, Dr Alison Norrington, Nathan Queely Dennis, Bob McGowan, and Susannah Daley, with support from experienced readers and producers including Dr Chris Ford, James Stone, Martin Pearson, and Kerry Daley.
The shortlisted playwrights will be invited aboard Ambition for a day to see their work performed by the onboard acting troupe. All plays are under an hour and suitable for performance at sea.
More information can be found here.
