Past Judges

The Drama Award are grateful to all our judges, who have taken the time out of their busy lives to support and encourage new writing. Our writers are grateful for their experience and judgements which have been so valued.

2015 Judges - SARAH WOLF and PETE GALLAGHER

Sarah Wolf is the Rights Director of Samuel French Ltd ....London. The Publisher and Author’s representative of exceptional plays and musicals who have have served the Theatrical Community since 1830 and their services are available from their offices in New York, London Hollywood and agencies world-wide.

Theatre, Film & TV industry experience: Sarah graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class degree in English with a minor in Drama. Since then she has worked extensively across the Theatre, Film and TV industry both in production as a Stage Manager, leading creative teams as a director and in Television as a script editor.

Script reading experience: She started her career reading scripts for organisations inc. : The Royal Court Theatre, Southwest Writer’s Scheme and Company Pictures and, since 2004, has also worked as a volunteer dramaturg and director with “Scene and Heard”, a unique mentoring scheme for young people.

Actors agent: Having spent nearly ten years as an actors’ agent supporting clients both contractually and creatively to build their careers, Sarah is now delighted to combine these skills.

Passion for new writing : with her enduring passion for new writing as the Rights Director for Samuel French Ltd. She sees and reads hundreds of new plays each year to ensure that Samuel French continues to work with , and be an advocate for, the UK’s most talented playwrights.

Pete Gallagher has directed dozens of productions - drama, musicals, comedies and variety - including the critically acclaimed gothic punk “A Midsummer Night’s Dream “ at the Man in the Moon in Chelsea and recently the award nominated tour of “Spring Awakening”. At the age of 25, he took charge of the Corona Academy in London and has since been Director of Musical Theatre in two colleges, and Head of Drama in another. He was a director of Miscellany Theatre Co. and co-founded GAJIT, a theatre master class company.

As a director in two of our Drama Awards, he immediately picked out the two that unbeknown to him, had been already chosen the winners. Pete has huge experience in selecting winning scripts and was also a very successful judge co-judgng with Fay Weldon CBE for our Award in 2013

Directing Credits: CHASING THE DREAM - ITV 2013, LUCKY STIFF – GSA 2012, CABARET - GSA 2012, GODSPELL GSA - 2011, SPRING AWAKENING - UK tour 2011, Sell a Door (Nominated best musical 2012), THE BROTHERS LIONHEART- Edinburgh 2009, NEWLEY-The Fool who Dared to Dream and many others.

Resident drama coach on Any Dream Will Do for BBC1 training aspiring Josephs in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TV talent show, as well as coaching on Strictly Come Dancing and Gladiators.

Theatre: Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour, A Winters Tale, The Fix, Moonlight & Magnolias, Pirates of Penzance, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Betrayal, Guys And Dolls, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Dr Dolittle, The Rocky Horror Show, The Mystery Plays, Buddy, Fields Of Ambrosia, Frankenstein, Up On The Roof and Lautrec, amongst many others.

Writing: Fanny Hill Musical ( to be seen in 2015/6 )Feeling Good -The Anthony Newley Story, Chasing The Dream and Face 2 Face with Danny Davies, The Cryptic Lines and The Brothers Lionheart with Richard Storry, The Black Book and The One with Simon Henderson, and solo projects Gribblum Tales, musical The Christmas Shop, and plays Tongues and What Goes Around.

2014 Judges – ALAN BRODIE and IQBAL KHAN

Alan Brodie founded his literary agency in 1996, having worked in the business for 30 years, having previously worked for Michael Imison Playwrights Ltd & ICM. The clients are writers, directors and composers working in theatre, film, TV and radio. He is also is a trustee of The Chichester Festival Theatre and Chair of the Noel Coward Foundation.

Alan Brodie Representation is proud of its diverse list of unique talent which works across all aspects of the entertainment industry, including developing scripts with newer writers who will become the voices of the next generation Agents utilise their combined knowledge and skill to create opportunities world-wide, working closely at every stage to meet the individual needs of each client. www.alanbrodie.com

Iqbal Khan trained at The Japanese Fellowship for Young Directors, took a directing course at The National Studio andIqbal Khan

trained at The Arts Council Directing Bursary. He has an MA with distinction in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University and a post-graduate from The Academy Dramatic Society. He is a board member for Theatre World Partnership and his development work includes workshops for The Education Department at The National Theatre and Pegasus Theatre. Also with new writing projects for Box Clever and Birmingham Rep. He has been staff and tour director for The National Theatre.Iqbal’s acting and directing credits are extensive.

2013 judges – FAY WELDON CBE and PETE GALLAGHER

Fay Weldon is one of Britain’s most influential, best-read and versatile writers.As well as over 30 novels and seven collections of short stories, she writes for stage, screen, television and radio. Her essays and reviews appear regularly in leading newspapers and journals and her work is translated throughout the world. Her novels have been major films and won awards. She has staged plays in London’s West End and in New York and written extensively for television and radio . She is a Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

Pete Gallagher has directed dozens of productions – drama, musicals and variety, many critically acclaimed and award nominated. Aged 25, he took charge of London’s Corona Academy and has since been Director of Musical Theatre in two colleges, and Head of Drama in another. He was a director of Miscellany Theatre Co. and co-founded GAJIT, a theatre master class company.. Pete has huge experience in selecting winning scripts.Writing, Theatre & Directing Credits: inc. Godspell, Cabaret Jesus Christ Super star, & many others. Resident drama coach on Any Dream Will Do for BBC1 training aspiring Josephs in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TV talent show, as well as coaching on Strictly Come Dancing and Gladiators.

2010, 2011, 2012 judges – JENNY SEAGROVE and JOHN ADAMS

Jenny and John enjoyed being judges so much in 2010 , “ A great time, stimulating and fascinating variety of events” so we asked them again, again and again.

Jenny Seagrove trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and has become one of UK’s well known and prolific actressesjenny seagrove pc. 2011 with her career having spanned TV, Film and Theatre , working continuously, with her credits being almost too many to mention. For a time packed up her theatre boots and produced a feature film. She’s back to the stage and although very busy, she enjoyed being a judge so much in 2010/2011 we asked her again.

John Adams has been working in theatre and radio since graduating from Balliol College, Oxford. He then co-founded PAINES PLOUGH, Britain’s leading, independent new writing company and was artistic director for the first six years. His two primary interests are British Regional Theatres and New Writing and he has specialised in directing new work and been artistic director for three of Britain’s regional theatres. His Directing Credits: are numerous , both drama and musicals with many Award winning productions. Actors he has directed include: Joseph Fiennes, Kenneth Branagh, Anthony Sher, Imogen Stubbs, Harriet Walter, Sir John Gielgud and many more-

2009 judges – JOANNE HARRIS and IQBAL KHAN

Joanne Harris studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher

for fifteen years, during which time she published 3 novels of which Chocolat (1999) was made into an Oscar nominated film starring Juliet Binoche and Johnny Depp. Since then, she has written eleven more novels plus two books of short stories and three cookbooks. Her books are now published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and International awards, In 2013 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. – www.joanne-harris.co.uk

Iqbal Khan trained at The Japanese Fellowship for Young Directors , took a directing course at The National Studio and trained at The Arts Council Directing Bursary. He has an MA with distinction in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University and a post-graduate from The Academy Dramatic Society. He is a board member for Theatre World Partnership and his development work includes workshops for The Education Department at The National Theatre and Pegasus Theatre. Also with new writing projects for Box Clever and Birmingham Rep. He has been staff and tour director for The National Theatre. Iqbal’s acting and directing credits are extensive.

2008 judges – KENNETH BRANAGH and IQBAL KHAN

Kenneth Branagh is one of Britain’s most respected, successful and prolific actors, directors and play writers whose TV, Acting, Pay-writing, Theatre, Film, & TV credits are numerous. Since being one of our judges, we are proud and grateful that he is now our sponsor giving great support and encouragement to the Fringe and to new Drama Writing. Also since being our judge, Kenneth was awarded a knighthood for his services to the Theatre and is now Sir Kenneth Branagh.

Iqbal Khan trained at The Japanese Fellowship for Young Directors , took a directing course at The National Studio and trained at The Arts Council Directing Bursary. He has an MA with distinction in Theatre Directing from Middlesex University and a post-graduate from The Academy Dramatic Society. He is a board member for Theatre World Partnership and his development work includes workshops for The Education Department at The National Theatre and Pegasus Theatre. Also with new writing projects for Box Clever and Birmingham Rep. He has been staff and tour director for The National Theatre. Iqbal’s acting and directing credits are extensive.

2007 judges – FAY WELDON CBE and NELL LEYSHON

Fay Weldon is one of Britain’s most influential, best-read and versatile writers. As well as over 30 novels and seven collections of short stories, she writes for stage, screen, television and radio. Her essays and reviews appear regularly in leading newspapers and journals and her work is translated throughout the world. Her novels have been major films and won awards. She has staged plays in London’s West End and in New York and written extensively for television and radio. She is a Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.http://i1.wp.com/www.windsorfringe.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Fay-Weldon-pic-pic-credit-to-Jonathan-Dockav-Drysdale-.jpg

Nell Leyshon won the Charles Wintour Evening Standard Award For Most Promising Playwright for COMFORT ME WITH APPLES which was also shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award. Her play BEDLAM was the first play written by a woman to be performed at Shakespeare’s Globe and she is working on FOLK, commissioned by the Bristol Old Vic & The National Theatre.

Nell writes regularly for Radio 3 and 4 and her play MILK, won the Richard Imison Award, Other plays inc: GLASS EELS, an adaptation of THE COLOUR OF MILK and JESS’ STORY for BBC Children in Need with Her novel, BLACK DIRT was long-listed for the Orange Prize and THE COLOUR OF MILK was published worldwide with MEMOIRES OF A DIPPER having also been bought by Penguin. –www.nellleyshon.co.uk

2006 judges – NINA BAWDEN CBE and FAY WELDON CBE

Nina Bawden CBE.is one of Britain’s most distinguished and best loved novelists, both for adults and children. She has published over 40 novels and an autobiography “In my Own Time”. She was short-listed for the Booker Prize for Circles of Deceit and her novel Family Money was filmed by Channel 4, starring Claire Bloom and June Whitfield. In 2004 she received the S.T Dupont Golden Pen Award for a lifetime’s Contribution to Literature.

Fay Weldon is one of Britain’s most influential, best-read and versatile writers.

Fay Weldon -photograph by Joanthan Dockav-DrysdaleAs well as over 30 novels and seven collections of short stories, she writes for stage, screen, television and radio. Her essays and reviews appear regularly in leading newspapers and journals and her work is translated throughout the world. Her novels have been major films and won awards. She has staged plays in London’s West End and in New York and written extensively for television and radio. She is a Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

2005 judges – NELL DUNN and FAY WELDON CBE

Nell Dunn is also one of Britain’s most well known & successful women writers. Her plays have been produced on TV, Film and Theatre in the West End, New York and around the world. Highlights include: Up the Junction & Poor Cow both directed by Ken Loach and Steaming, which received the Evening Standard and Laurence Olivier Awards, running for two years in the West End and around the world for ten years.

Fay Weldon is one of Britain’s most influential, best-read and versatile writers. As well as over 30 novels and seven collections of short stories, she writes for stage, screen, television and radio. Her essays and reviews appear regularly in leading newspapers and journals and her work is translated throughout the world. Her novels have been major films and won awards. She has staged plays in London’s West End and in New York and written extensively for television and radio. She is a Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University.

2004 judges – Dame HILARY MANTEL and ROSEMARY SQUIRE OBE

Our Drama Award was very fortunate to have “This Dream Team’’ as our first judges. Although both have gone on to even greater success, they’ve always had time to support and encourage our award that supports new drama writers.

Dame Hilary Mantel is one of UK’s most successful awarded authors, whose novels WOLF HALL and BRING UP THE BODIES won the Man Booker prize in 2009 and 2012. Adapted for the stage, they played in Stratford and the West End . The BBC’s screen adaptation, starring Mark Rylance, has received 8 Emmy nominations and has been sold all over the world. Hilary is a member of the RSC’s board of governors and in 2015. Although having been awarded a CBE, Hilary was honoured by being made a Dame for services to Literature in 2015.

Rosemary Squire OBE Co-Founder and Joint CEO. The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG)

Co-founded by Rosemary Squire and Howard Panter the ATG has grown to be the UK’s largest theatre group with a total over 40 venues in Britain, the US and Germany. ATG is also one of the most prolific and internationally recognised award-winning theatre producers in the world. From 2010 to 2015 they have topped The Stage 100 (the annual guide to the 100 most influential people in UK Theatre)In October 2014, Rosemary made history by becoming the first ever woman to be named EY Entrepreneur of the year in the UK . She represented the UK at the EY World Entrepreneur Awards in Monaco 2015 in a field of 60. One of only 6 women to receive this accolade she was short-listed to the final 10. Rosemary is a National Member of the Arts Council England Board and in 2005 was elected President of the Society of London Theatre and in 2006, won the prestigious CBI Real Business First Women Award for Tourism and Leisure. In 2007 Rosemary was awarded an OBE for services to Theatre. www.theambassadors.com/atg