The annual Awards took place at The Dorfman, National Theatre on Friday, 15th November. We were welcomed by Emily McLaughlin, Head of New Work. Read her speech.
Joint Artistic Director of Royal Exchange Theatre, Roy Alexander Weise, presented the award and cheque for £6,000 to Jasmine Lee-Jones, winner of Best New Play of the Year for seven methods of killing kylie jenner at this year’s Alfred Fagon Award supported by The Peggy Ramsay Foundation.
“It’s truly an honour that the judging panel have given me this award. I’ve always wanted to write plays and grew up following the Alfred Fagon Award and its recipients, as well as Alfred Fagon’s legacy, so to be in a lineage of an award that has honoured the likes of Michaela Coel, Charlene James, Theresa Ikoko, and other artists whose work I truly respect and adore, is awe-inspiring.
I also have to say the intergenerational support for this play and me – typified by this award – has been truly moving. I’ve felt embraced by a community of theatre-makers and artists that I grew up looking up to and I’m well and truly feeling the love! I want to take this moment to honour my fellow nominees and also the generations that have come before us whose tireless work, bravery and commitment to authenticity and excellence have shone through even in the face of structures that sought to silence their voices. They are the reason I continue to dream big.” Jasmine Lee-Jones.
Chair of the Judges, Mimi Findlay says, “This play, ridiculously bold in its method of storytelling, portrays a world in which we know is on the brink, dangerous, outspoken and desperate to cure the sickness of cultural appropriation that has been inflicted upon our world. Our judges had never quite seen anything like this before.” Read Mimi’s speech that opened this year’s ceremony.
The recipient of this year’s Roland Rees Bursary, named in honour of the co-founder of the Alfred Fagon Award and leading theatre director from the 1970s and 1980s, is Juliet Gilkes Romero. Juliet was presented with a cheque of £3,000 by last year’s recipient Rex Obano. The Roland Rees Bursary is awarded annually and enables writers to devote more time to their writing.
There was a moment of reflection and remembrance for the late Mustapha Matura, remembered by Sheelagh Killeen Rees, Oscar James and Stefan Kalipha.
More photos from the event are on our Facebook page.
Shortlist
- Carmen Harris Foreign
- Jasmine Lee-Jones seven methods of killing kylie jenner
- Nick Makoha The Dark
- Nicôle Lecky Superhoe
- Ryan Cameron Retrograde
- Tonderai Munyevu Comrades, Mugabe, My Dad and Me
Longlist
- Archie Maddocks Pan on the Tyne
- Carmen Harris Foreign
- Jasmine Lee-Jones seven methods of killing kylie jenner
- Juliet Gilkes Romero State of the Union
- Nick Makoha The Dark
- Nicole Latchana OCO-2
- Nicôle Lecky Superhoe
- Patricia Cumper Red Dirt
- Roy Williams and Clint Dyer Death of England
- Ryan Cameron Retrograde
- Tonderai Munyevu Comrades, Mugabe, My Dad and Me
- Tolula Dada Marry or Burn
- Tyrell Williams Red Pitch