Carmen Marcus wins the Faber New Play Award

We are thrilled to announce that Carmen Marcus' play And The Earth Opened Up Under Her is the winner of the Faber New Play Award.

The award is granted to the best play written by an unpublished playwright under the WGGB New Play Commission Scheme (NPCS). It offers publication to coincide with the premiere, and a prize of £5,000.

Of the play, judge Dipo Baruwa-Etti commented, “And The Earth Opened Up Under Her is an ambitious and bold play, telling a story of complex human relationships with a rich theatricality and poetry that is exciting and showcases a promising new voice to watch out for.”

Chris Campbell described the play as “an intelligent and original work rooted in the soil of a rich tradition.”

Beth Steel said, “Carmen’s dark gem of a play pulled me in with its vivid language and pulsing theatrical imagination. I’m really looking forward to seeing where her writing takes her – and us – next.”

Under the scheme, And The Earth Opened Up Under Her has been commissioned by Pilot Theatre, York.

Read the full press release here.