The Popcorn Writing Award, the only major award to celebrate new playwrights at the Edinburgh Fringe, announces their committee for 2021.
It includes award-winning performer, comedian and drag queen Jonny Woo, Andreja Pejic, actress, supermodel, and transgender activist, celebrated playwright, and poet, Inua Ellams, multi-award-winning Noma Dumezweni, Peaky Blinders’ actress Annabelle Wallis and Olivier-award winning producer Francesca Moody.
Annabelle Wallis said: “I’m so excited to join this excellent committee and judge the best of new playwriting talent from the Edinburgh Fringe.”
The committee will read the very best from the many submissions coming from around the world. They decide the finalists and winners, allocating the £6,000 prize fund and guaranteeing a slot for the winning play at one of the six major partnering venues.
Finalist for the Popcorn Award 2020, Chris Thompson said: “Popcorn Group organised a brilliant reading with Kit Harington and Tuppence Middleton as part of the Popcorn Award last year for my play ‘BURN’. The play gained amazing recognition even though everything was put on hold.”
For the last three years, Popcorn has partnered with all six of the major venues at the Fringe – Assembly Festival, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, Summerhall, The Traverse and Underbelly. The Award celebrates fearless work which playfully and artistically questions and addresses current affairs, societal trends and contributes positively to public debate.
Charlotte Colbert and Jessica Malik of Popcorn Group said: “The theatre world is slowly getting back on its feet but there’s still a long way to go. Our award is our way of supporting the grassroots of theatre industry which is essential for the whole arts sector. We can’t wait to get through the submissions!”
This year’s committee are made up of a carefully selected group of like-minded mavericks from theatre, film, TV and beyond. The full committee is: Inua Ellams, Noma Dumezweni, Andreja Pejic, Annabelle Wallis, Jennifer Lunn, Charlotte Colbert, Anthony Alderson, Francesca Moody, Jessica Malik, Philip Colbert, Art Malik, Tony Grisoni and Natalie Denton.
