A new national playwriting award, the Mainstage Prize, has been launched to support the creation of ambitious large-scale theatrical work with wide audience appeal.
Founded by producer Sophie Cairns and supported by Riverside Studios, the annual £10,000 prize aims to address a growing demand from theatres and producers for new plays with the potential to fill large venues and tour nationally.
Former Royal Shakespeare Company Head of New Work Pippa Hill will chair the judging panel, joined by Sunday Times best-selling author and Women’s Prize for Playwriting founder Ellie Keel as strategic advisor.
Laura Turner, Associate Literary Artist at Nottingham Playhouse, will act as Literary Manager, overseeing submissions and managing the shortlisting process.
Each year the Mainstage Prize will focus on a selected genre, with horror chosen as the inaugural theme for 2027.
The prize is open to writers based in the UK and Ireland who have had at least one professional production of their work lasting a minimum of two weeks.
Entrants must submit an unproduced, full-length play, with three finalists selected to receive rehearsed readings for industry professionals and the public.
The overall winner will receive £10,000 alongside mentorship sessions with members of the judging panel to further develop their play.
Submissions will be open from 15 May to 1 August, with rehearsed readings presented at Riverside Studios and the winner announced in early 2027.
Founder Sophie Cairns said: “I wanted to create more opportunities for artists to develop work specifically designed for major venues and set up the Prize to do just that. By focusing on horror this year, we are leaning into a genre that is fundamentally theatrical and undeniably in the zeitgeist. Audiences are hungry for the visceral, high-stakes experience that a large-scale horror production can provide, and I am so excited to see how writers harness that energy.”
Chair Pippa Hill said: “I am absolutely delighted to Chair the Mainstage Prize in its inaugural year. Now, more than ever, is the moment to back UK playwrights and to encourage them to write ambitious, original big new plays. The Mainstage Prize is looking for writers who have the talent to write at scale, who take bold approaches to the horror genre and who understand how to confidently hold a large audience rapt. I cannot wait to see these new plays up on their feet, terrifying and delighting audiences in equal measure.”
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
