Four bold and unflinching plays exploring themes from modern marriage to systemic injustice have been announced as contenders for the prestigious George Devine Award 2025.
Formed in 1966 in memory of the Royal Court’s founding Artistic Director, George Devine, the award is recognised as one of the most significant honours in new writing. It seeks to spotlight a playwright of promise, with the winner receiving £15,000 to support their future work. Previous winners include Alice Birch, Nick Payne and Lucy Prebble.
The 2025 shortlist features:
Asmara Gabrielle for BAD SEED
Set in East London among a Pakistani family, BAD SEED examines cycles of abuse, patriarchal power and resilience. Asmara, a British-Pakistani writer and actor, previously earned a place on the BBC Writersroom and New Talent Hotlist.
Yasmin Joseph for CITIZENS OF UMI
Summer 2017. Holloway Prison has closed, Sarah Reed’s death is under scrutiny, and five Black women occupy the derelict site to imagine a new utopia. Yasmin’s debut play J’ouvert won the James Tait Black Prize for Drama and she has written for Disney+, Apple and Netflix.
Martha Loader for THE TOWN
When a mother questions her son’s capacity for change after an abduction allegation, painful memories resurface. Martha is an award-winning writer whose work has been staged internationally. She won the Judges Award at the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2022.
Isla van Tricht for THE KNOT
As a couple plans their wedding, they interrogate the meaning of vows and whether marriage is liberating or suffocating. Isla’s previous work includes THE SEX ED MUSICAL and MONEY, and she currently has multiple TV and film projects in development.
The judging panel includes Tanika Gupta, Sabrina Mahfouz, Barney Norris, Georgia Pritchett, Martina Laird, Ed Madden and Ria Zmitrowicz. The winner will be announced in early December.
Award judge Barney Norris said:
“The George Devine award extends the legacy of an extraordinary artistic revolution that took place in west London seventy years ago and changed the way the world tells stories. Through this award that revolution is continuously renewed. This year’s shortlist demonstrate passion, innovation, technique and soul, and prove that in the most challenging conditions, creativity continues to flourish defiantly.”
Director and judge Ed Madden added:
“To read a new play by a writer of promise is always a thrill, privilege, and responsibility; and so it is an honour to be a member of the George Devine judging panel. At a time of such precarity in our new writing culture, the opportunity to celebrate the playwrights on this shortlist is a sincere pleasure.”
More information can be found here.
