The Royal Court Theatre has announced that applications are now open for the 2027 edition of its Young Playwrights Award, inviting aspiring writers aged 13 to 18 from across the UK to submit original work.
Now in its third edition, the free-to-enter competition aims to champion the next generation of playwrights while addressing the lack of playwriting provision within the national curriculum.
Building on the success of previous years, including Leo Simpe-Asante’s Godot’s To-Do List, which was staged as a curtain raiser to Krapp’s Last Tape starring Gary Oldman, the 2027 programme will be the largest to date.
Presented in partnership with more than 20 theatres, new-writing venues and creative organisations across the UK, the award will significantly expand its outreach programme. The number of national playwriting workshops will double to 20 locations in 2027, alongside 15 additional workshops in London schools, youth theatres and youth groups.
Partner organisations include Chichester Festival Theatre, National Writing Centre, Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Everyman, Pitlochry Theatre, The Traverse in Edinburgh, Blackpool Grand, Theatre Clwyd and Lyric Theatre Belfast.
As part of the initiative, participating schools, youth groups and educational organisations will receive free access to the Royal Court’s digital archive from January 2027, along with a seven-day priority booking window for productions in the theatre’s 2027 season.
The Royal Court also continues to provide free educational resources, including structured lesson plans and Playwriting Club guides designed to support classroom participation. These resources feature video masterclasses from playwrights including Ryan Calais Cameron, author of For Black Boys…, and Nina Segal, whose work includes Cow | Deer.
Following the submission deadline of 1 April 2027, six winning plays will be selected for performance at the Royal Court Theatre. The plays will be presented as a festival of rehearsed readings in July 2027, performed by a company of professional actors and led by Royal Court Trainee Directors.
All six winning plays will be published in a physical anthology by Nick Hern Books, while everyone shortlisted will be invited to attend the festival and awards ceremony.
The Young Playwrights Award is supported by The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and The David Laing Foundation.
More information can be found here.
