Four writers have been shortlisted for the Alfred Bradley Bursary Award 2023 with the winner set to be announced in September.
The four writers and their shortlisted plays are:
No Man's Land by Benjamin Bee
Finn believes that his life sucks because he never had a dad (or any positive male role models). But when a friend convinces him to post an advert online he has to test that theory.
Mouth by Chrissy Jamieson Jones
Mouth is the story of two mothers who lie to protect themselves from loss. It asks the question: when your world is falling apart, what lengths would you go to in order to protect your family, but also yourself?
Has Anyone Seen Kelsey? by Julie Skeat
As her mum’s cancer quickly advances, a hapless young call centre worker faces grown-up life all on her own. In this blackly comic coming-of-age drama, Kelsey manages to completely botch her suicide, start planning her mum’s funeral and find an unlikely guardian angel, all in the space of a week.
Awaydays by Lee Thompson
Disillusioned with his life, sacked from his job, and drowning in family debt, a young man with seemingly nothing to lose decides to steal himself a better life, by helping his cousin rob the houses of wealthy footballers.
These shortlisted writers will now undertake a development process with mentorship from a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Audio Drama North Producer ready for the final judging process this Autumn.
The selected winner will be announced in September and awarded a £5,000 cash bursary and continue to develop their drama script to be broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.
We wish everyone the best of luck and look forward to announcing the winner later this year.
Find out more about the writers below:
Benjamin Bee
BENJAMIN BEE was born in Newcastle, where he currently lives and works. A troubled childhood meant he left school aged 14 without any qualifications. Since then he’s graduated from the London Film School and became a multi-award-winning writer & director, whose short-form work has been long-listed twice for the BAFTA’s and screened at over 500 festivals worldwide.
In 2019 he was selected as a Screen International Star of Tomorrow, and is currently in development on his first feature, MARWELL, a touching, time-travel comedy-drama, without any time travel. Marwell was selected for Venice Biennale College–Cinema, EIFF Talent Lab Connects, and is in development with the BFI Film Fund.
Ben is also developing multiple projects for TV and was recently selected for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Comedy Collective – designed to nurture the next generation of comedy talent. He proudly identifies as neurodivergent and disabled. Ben is represented by Hannah Linnen at 42 management.
Chrissy Jamieson Jones
Chrissy Jamieson Jones wrote her play MOUTH on the Liverpool Royal Court's Stage Write programme. She has previously been shortlisted for the Shelagh Delaney Award, and has had short plays produced in London and locally in the North West.
She is currently collaborating with Box of Tricks Theatre on their Pen Pals programme and juggles writing alongside being a mum and re-training to be a psychotherapist.
Julie Skeat
After twelve years in the education sector, Julie Skeat tired of writing in secret, left primary teaching and undertook Writing on the Wall’s Write to Work course. More than a reboot, it was a total reprogramming, giving her the injection of confidence needed to call herself a writer. Last summer she was chosen as one of the Writersroom Write Across Liverpool writers and wrote a pilot episode for her drama Pop! about her experience of burnout.
She is currently working on her first full length play as part of the Liverpool Everyman Playwrights’ Programme. In BURIED, a daughter reliving her mother’s escape from domestic abuse warns of the dangers of carrying someone else’s story. Julie’s characters aren’t used to the spotlight, tending to shuffle their feet and hang around in the margins. Many of these working-class voices think they are not worth listening to and she wants to prove them wrong.
Lee Thompson
LEE THOMPSON is a screenwriter and playwright from Liverpool. He is a graduate of the Liverpool Everyman Playwriting Course. His play QUALIFIED, a one-person show with music about teaching and mental health, has been performed at the Playhouse Studio in Liverpool and Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. Lee has also written plays for the Everyman Youth Theatre and the Alligators Collective at The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester.
For television, Lee worked on the final series of Jimmy McGovern’s MOVING ON, contributing the second episode of the series, SECRET LIFE. He is currently developing new work for television and stage. Lee is represented by Julia Mills at Berlin Associates.