Winner Announced for Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy
At a ceremony held in our theatre last night (Wed 15 May), actor and playwright Eugene O’Hare was announced the winner of Birmingham Rep’s inaugural The Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy in partnership with The Victoria Wood Foundation and supported by BBC Comedy for his play Portugal.
Conceived by our double Olivier award-wining Artistic Director, Sean Foley, it is the first ever major playwrighting prize dedicated to the art of Comedy.
In Eugene O’Hare’s two-act comedy play, Portugal, a working-class Belfast woman called Jennifer says her life is so ordinary that she no longer feels like she exists. Her desire to be set free and find a completely different life in Portugal throws her family and fiancé into a mad spin. Portugal is about taking ownership of your one shot at life no matter who you upset along the way.
Eugene O’Hare said on receiving the prize:
I’m very surprised and overwhelmed to receive this incredible and generous award. It’s especially meaningful post-COVID when playwrights are struggling more than before to even get their work read.
Owning something associated with Victoria’s name is very meaningful to me, and I will treasure it.”
Ceremony Images
Photography by Kris Askey
Photography by Kris Askey
(L-R) Tom Coles, Ed Amsden, Caoimhe Farren, Sean Foley, Eugene O'Hare and Andrew Pollard. Photography by Kris Askey
Photography by Kris Askey
Photography by Kris Askey
Photography by Kris Askey
Photography by Kris Askey
Sean Foley said:
I’m thrilled that the inaugural Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy had so many brilliant entries: the task of finding our first winner amongst the very many styles of comedy, the hundreds of extraordinary plots, characters and situations, was not easy. But the judging panel felt that Eugene O’Hare’s Portugal – a brilliantly funny play about taking ownership at your one shot at life, no matter who you upset along the way – had compelling, relatable characters, superbly funny Belfast-tinged dialogue, and a great situation that was often painfully hilarious. I couldn’t be prouder to have created this prize in conjunction with The Rep, The Victoria Wood Foundation, and with the sponsorship of BBC Comedy, and I’m delighted that we have such a fantastic first winner.”
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy said:
BBC Comedy are proud to support the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize, honouring the indelible comedic legacy of Victoria Wood. This prize will go some way to empowering the next generation of comedic voices to carry forward her tradition of finding humour in life’s everyday moments. Congratulations to Eugene – we’re looking forward to seeing what he achieves with his win.”
O’Hare’s previous writing includes two full-length plays which opened at the Park Theatre in London in 2019 followed by a third play, The Dry House, which opened in London in 2023. As a screen actor he has played recurring and guest roles in shows for HBO, BBC, Channel 4, Starz and Netflix. He has worked extensively as a theatre actor in London, Sheffield, Glasgow, Dublin and both on and off Broadway.
Siobhan McSweeney a member of the judging panel said:
This play is a perfect example of how comedy as a genre can deal with all the big philosophical questions about the human condition.”
Fellow panellist Tegan Summer added:
Portugal was our clear winner, albeit in a very strong field of finalists, due to the quality of its dialogue, clear character definitions, a relatable, emblematic premise, and the depth of its story arc. It keeps the reader and audience wanting to take the journey alongside its strong female protagonist to the last page.”
The judging panel for The Prize consists of: The Rep’s Artistic Director Sean Foley, BAFTA winning actor, comedian and friend of Victoria Wood Daniel Rigby, BAFTA winning actor and broadcaster Siobhan McSweeney, West End and Broadway producer Tegan Summer, renowned playwright Tanika Gupta MBE FRSL and television producer and representative of the Victoria Wood Foundation Piers Wenger. The project is led by the multiple award-winning live comedy director, dramaturg and comedy teacher, Dec Munro.
The complete list of the four finalists and their plays is:
Portugal by Eugene O’Hare
Hello Charlie by Caoimhe Farren
Bring me the Head of Miriam Margolyes by Andrew Pollard
Bum by Ed Amsden and Tom Coles
Special commendations went to:
Goodbye Suzzie Jenkins by Ben Callon
Fake Melania by Poppy Corbett
Reach for the Stars by Jenny Knotts
Sidekicked by Patrick Maguire
The Prize has been made possible thanks to the generous support of The Victoria Wood Foundation, a charity set up after the death of Victoria Wood by in 2016 by her friends to support the arts.