Heretic Productions today announces the shortlist for Heretic Voices, a new nationwide competition to find the best new writing in monologue form. In their first year they have received an unprecedented 1,136 applications. The 9 shortlisted pieces are Cameraman by Jon Barton, Dogwalker by Alison Carr, Woman Caught Unaware by Annie Fox, Dean Mcbride by Sonya Hale, A Hundred Words For Snow by Tatty Hennessy, Party Politics by Lorna Martin, Three Mothers In Search Of A Son by Henry Martin, Vacation by Dan Pick and Lost Crystals by Anni Swinburn.
The monologues will now be judged by a panel including Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington, award-winning playwright and actor Lolita Chakrabarti, BAFTA Award-winning actor Monica Dolan and literary agent Mel Kenyon. The four winners will be revealed on Monday November 27 and they will receive a full production in the main space at the Arcola Theatre from 9th-13th January 2018 with experienced actors and directors.
Applicants could enter any monologue between 15 and 45 minutes in length, written in English, and both experienced writers for the stage and new writers could apply. The shortlisted productions are diverse in subject and situation, from a Croydon council estate to the Arctic Circle and from a children’s birthday party to a refugee’s flight from their home country.
Artistic Director of Heretic Productions, Max Gill, said today “Narrowing a long list of brilliant work to just nine plays was a fantastic challenge and we are thrilled to announce our shortlist. The writers come from many different walks of life but they are united by an exceptional talent and I do not envy the panel in choosing the final plays for production. Whichever plays are eventually chosen, we know the work we present will be very special indeed. We can’t wait to share it.”
