Young Playwrights Competition 2020

Young Playwright’s Competition

In summer 2020, Theatr Iolo ran a competition for children and young people between the ages of 7 and 16 to write an original ten-minute play. The competition was launched at a time when most children and young people were learning from home due to COVID-19 and provided a creative activity for children and young people whilst theatres were closed.

We received entries from many young people and enjoyed reading every single one of them! It was a difficult decision, but we are delighted to announce that the winning plays are The Wakey-Wake-Amatic by Esme (age 10), Home from War by Lauren (age 14), Two Worlds, One Meal by Faaris (age 13) and Cer i Ffwrdd by Rhiana (age 15).

The plays were originally set to be performed at the Sherman Theatre but, as theatres around the country remain closed, the four winning scripts have been recorded as audio plays that can be listened to at home or in schools on the Theatr Iolo podcast channel from 11 March 2021.

The plays were recorded over a series of video calls, in which the young playwrights had an opportunity to share their inspiration with the actors and directors and watch their plays being recorded. The plays were directed by Lee Lyford and Sion Pritchard and performed by Mali Ann Rees, Sion Pritchard, Sara Lloyd, Kyle Lima and Connor Allen.

Access Information

The four winning plays are available to listen to on our podcast channel and can be accessed via other platforms such as Spotify or Deezer.

If you wish to experience the plays whilst reading captions, all four plays are available on Youtube as audio plays with captions that follow the timings of what is being spoken.

If you wish to read the transcript of the play at your own pace, along with a written description of the action and sounds, you can do so on Buzzsprout by clicking on the tab labelled 'Transcript'. Unfortunately, this is not available on other platforms.

If you wish to read the script without any audio, all the plays are available to download below as a PDF.

We have also recorded Question & Answer session with the young plawrights and this is available with captions on our Youtube channel.

Winning Plays

The Wakey-Wake-Amatic
by Esme (age 10)

Listen to The Wakey-Wake-Amatic on our podcast channel

Read Esme’s play in this downloadable PDF or click here to read online with issuu

You can also experience The Wakey-Wake-Amatic on Youtube as an audio play. The play has captions that follow the timings of what is being spoken, along with a written description of the sounds and actions.

“When I entered the Young Playwrights competition I never expected to win, so when I found out I did win I was very excited!! It was so interesting seeing my play come to life, working with the voice actors and director. Everyone there treated me like a professional and like I was part of the team- which adults don’t usually do with kids. Overall it was an amazing experience!”

— Esme

Home from War
by Lauren (age 14)

Listen to Home from War on our podcast channel

Read Lauren’s play in this downloadable PDF or click here to read online with issuu

You can also experience Home from War on Youtube as an audio play. The play has captions that follow the timings of what is being spoken, along with a written description of the sounds and actions.

“The experience has really opened my eyes to all the different levels there are to creating a performance and it’s been so interesting for me to go through the process step by step and experience it as if I were working professionally. I’ve enjoyed every aspect of the experience starting from the first draft of my play to the final recording session and I am so grateful I got the opportunity to work with everyone on the performance.”

— Lauren

Cer i Ffwrdd
by Rhiana (age 15)

Listen to Cer i Ffwrdd on our podcast channel (please note that 'Cer I Ffwrdd' is a binaural show, so it it best experienced on headphones.)

Read Rhiana’s play in this downloadable PDF or click here to read online with issuu

You can also experience the Cer i Ffwrdd on Youtube as an audio play. The play has captions that follow the timings of what is being spoken, along with a written description of the sounds and actions.

“Roedd cymryd rhan yn y gystadleuaeth dramodydd ifanc yn brofiad bythgofiadwy. Wnaeth y gystadleuaeth adeiladu hyder yn fy ysgrifennu, a fy annog i barhau i ysgrifennu. Roedd pawb yn garedig iawn, ac yn barod i helpu ac ateb unrhyw gwestiynau trwy gydol y broses. Rwy’n ddiolchgar iawn i Theatr Iolo am brofiad mor anhygoel, ac mi wnes i fwynhau llawer.”

— Rhiana

“Taking part in the young playwright’s competition was an unforgettable experience. The competition increased my confidence in my writing and encouraged me to carry on writing. Everyone was very kind, and happy to help and answer any questions throughout the process. I’m very grateful to Theatr Iolo for such an amazing experience, and I really enjoyed it. ”

— Rhiana

Two Worlds, One Meal
by Faaris (age 13)

Listen to Two Worlds, One Meal on our podcast channel

Read Faaris’s play in this downloadable PDF or click here to read online with issuu

You can also experience Two Worlds, One Meal on Youtube as an audio play. The play has captions that follow the timings of what is being spoken, along with a written description of the sounds and actions.

“It was humbling to work with such a talented group of people. The quality of the actors’ performances took my breath away, as I watched them portray my script beautifully. The creative director, Lee Lyford made me feel part of the team from minute one. The whole experience has given me extra motivation to carry on writing strong stories with a moral message. I’ve gained a greater appreciation for the arts industry and its potential to change lives.”

— Faaris