Everything Theatre has a track record in championing Theatre for Young Audiences, as well as supporting young creatives taking their first steps in putting work on the stage. So we were more than happy when The Royal Court asked if we’d like to share their interviews with the winners of this year’s Young Playwrights Award.
The Royal Court‘s Young Playwrights Award 2026 received more than 260 submissions from 13–18-year-olds throughout the UK, following a national programme of free workshops for schools and youth groups, alongside digital resources and videos. The free-to-enter award aims to discover, nurture and champion the next generation of playwrights, offering personal feedback for every play submitted, and addressing the current lack of provision for scriptwriting as part of the school curriculum.
The winners of the 13-15 age category are Lucy Edda Leggatt (Fruit.), Rufus Peaty (You’ll Live); Lucy Varley (A Shadow on the Ocean).
In the 16-18 age category, the winners are Thomas Mossman (Bus Stop of Strangers), Lucy Nicholas (Build-a-Boyfriend (please don’t leave)) and Dhaani Singh (You Can’t Say That).
Lucy Edda Leggatt, writer of Fruit.
Describe your play in a sentence…
My play is about the small lives of two girls in the 17th century, one of whom suddenly believes she is being visited by a cruel version of the biblical figure ‘Eve’ who encourages her to stop eating.
What inspired you to write your play?
The play is a mixture of my own experiences with an eating disorder and the comfort I take in history. I was fascinated to learn about the ‘holy maids’, girls who stopped eating but were considered sacred rather than ill. The love and silliness of my two closest friends Emilia and Chloë really fed into the theme of female friendship, and its unique power!
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
My school drama teacher, Mr. Kirk, was so encouraging when I started writing plays, allowing me to put them on and reading over my scripts, which gave me the confidence to put my work forward!
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
I’m really looking forward to seeing how the company stages it, it will be an extremely surreal experience, and I can’t wait too see the other winning plays! It’ll be amazing to meet the other playwrights and all those involved in putting on the festival.
Rufus Peaty, writer of You’ll Live
Describe your play in a sentence…
“You’ll Live” is about Abbie, a 15 year old teenager who, with the help of her friend Amira, finds the perfect dress for an event at school, as well as something, she feels, that’s much more sinister…
What inspired you to write your play?
I was inspired to write my play through my love of horror/suspense fiction and horror theatre, which is a genre rarely performed. I’m always interested in current issues and problems, the issue portrayed in this play being the increase of anxiety/depression in teenagers. I wanted to create a story featuring all these elements, focusing around one of the most normal things we do in our day-to-day lives, mixing with the supernatural. The result? Well you’ll have to see the play to find out…
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
I’ve been writing plays ever since I was little, staging them with friends in primary school and performing them to my class weekly. We would perform new stories all the way to classics such as “The Woman In Black” and even Shakespeare sometimes. It had always been my dream, since then, to have a play performed professionally at any theatre, no less than the Royal Court! So when I learned about the competition, I really wanted to apply, given how much of an incredible opportunity it is.
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
I am most excited to see how audiences will react to the play, particularly its ending, and also to see the other winners’ plays as I’m really nosey and, from what I’ve heard, they all sound excellent.
Lucy Varley, writer of A Shadow on the Ocean
Describe your play in a sentence…
When a young man finds himself stranded in the middle of the ocean with a mysterious little girl, their conversations lead him to confront grief, forgiveness, and the true meaning of love.
What inspired you to write your play?
I had written lots of poetry, screenplays and prose, but had never considered playwrighting. After I saw a brilliant amateur production of Macbeth, I realised how impactful stage can be and decided to try it myself.
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
I entered an early draft of the play in the award’s inaugural year, but couldn’t participate as I don’t live in London. The feedback I got was really encouraging, so when applications opened for the whole country I decided to enter my finished version of the play.
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
I think seeing my play performed will be incredible, as seeing my writing brought to life is something I have always aspired to experience. After all, plays are written to be performed!
Thomas Mossman, writer of Bus Stop of Strangers
Describe your play in a sentence…
This is always a tricky question. I don’t even know if I understand what my play is ‘about’. But, to put it simply, it’s about an estranged father and son at a bus stop (you could even say it’s about a bus stop of strangers!).
What inspired you to write your play?
I happened to be in London during a Unite The Kingdom rally (at least I think that’s what they’re called, I really can’t claim to be much of an expert) back in September of last year to see Beth Steel’s play Till The Stars Come Down (pretty ironic if you ask me), and was surprised to see how this march had turned into a ‘family day out’ for so many. Ideas for the play snowballed from there!
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
It just seemed like the opportunity of opportunities! Especially for someone who wants to continue/is continuing to write plays!
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
Is ‘everything’ an answer? But getting to see words I wrote performed on stage at the Royal Court is probably going to be a real pinch me moment!
Lucy Nicholas, writer of Build a Boyfriend
Describe your play in a sentence…
Simply put, it’s about female friendship and my realisations about teenage girls’ obsessions with romantic relationships and being desired (particularly by men and boys).
What inspired you to write your play?
Creative works, like Mona Awad’s Bunny (particularly her blending of horror and naturalism to create a really cool commentary on relationships) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag (that led me to reflect on women’s relationships with desire and men; as well as being a masterclass in comedy and devastation). But, my female friendships were my real source of inspiration – I could write plays upon plays about all the funny moments I share with them and my feelings about sisterhood.
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
The Young Playwrights Award seemed like (and has been) a really great opportunity to explore my love of drama in a new way! I loved that I was free to explore themes and ideas I was passionate about to an audience and that I finally had an opportunity to put all of my creative imaginings on a page.
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
I am really thrilled to be meeting the creative team at the Royal Court and the other playwrights. Watching all the plays will no doubt be exciting, enlightening and altogether awesome, plus it is a great opportunity to meet people with similar passions!
Dhaani Singh writer of You Can’t Say That
Describe your play in a sentence…
My play explores the cultural and generational differences between a mother and daughter, showing how love and misunderstanding can exist side by side.
What inspired you to write your play?
My play was inspired by conversations and experiences shared by my friends, as well as my own life. After seeing an argument between a friend and her mother, I wanted to explore the different perspectives of older and younger generations, particularly within the context of cultural expectations and family relationships.
Why did you apply for the Young Playwrights Award?
At first, I wasn’t planning to apply, but one evening I found myself reflecting on my own experiences with cultural differences after a lesson at school. I realised this was a story I wanted to tell on stage, remembered the Young Playwrights Award, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to share it.
What are you most excited about for the Young Playwrights Festival?
I’m most excited to watch the other young playwrights’ work and see how everyone brings their unique stories to life. I’m also looking forward to seeing my own vision performed on stage and discovering how audiences connect with it through their own experiences.
Our thanks to the Royal Court for both putting on these great awards, and for sharing these interviews with us. If you want to see the winning plays, they will be staged between Thursday 9 and Saturday 11 July.
