We’re super excited to announce that Sam Burns, who we nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2011, has been named in the 10-strong longlist for her extraordinary debut play NOT THE WORST PLACE.
We first read the play when our friends at Sherman Cymru sent us the best of new Welsh writing to help us put together our line-up for COME TO WHERE I’M FROM : CARDIFF. We instantly fell in love with Sam’s gripping and tender tale of a teenage girl who moves out of her family home to share a tent with her listless boyfriend on Swansea seafront.
The Susan Smith Blackburn prize is given annually to a female playwright who has written a work of outstanding quality for the English-speaking theatre. Past winners include Caryl Churchill, Timberlake Wertenbaker and PP alumnus Rona Munro.
Alongside Sam, this year’s finalists include Olivier Award winner Katori Hall, Alex Wood, Tamsin Oglesby and COME TO WHERE I’M FROM : MANCHESTER writer Joy Wilkinson.
So huge congrats to Sam. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the announcement of the winner at a ceremony in New York on 28 February.
Meantime, you can listen to Sam’s COME TO WHERE I’M FROM play here.