Hannah Doran has won the 16th annual Papatango New Writing Prize for her play The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights.

As part of the Prize’s new partnership with the Park Theatre, Doran’s debut play will have its world première in Park200 at Park Theatre in 2025. The prize also includes publication by Nick Hern Books, a royalty of 8% of the box office, and a £7,500 commission with full developmental support.

The winner was selected from 1,589 entries, making Papatango the biggest annual playwriting scheme in the UK. The prize is judged anonymously, and every entrant to the prize receives feedback on their script.

Hannah Doran’s play The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights is set in the cold cut room of New York butchers Cafarelli & Sons, and explores friendship and betrayal in the modern workplace.

Hannah Doran said today in a statement: “I can’t believe I’ve won. I’ve been writing plays (and getting rejections) for over a decade. I’m thrilled to debut with a company and a theatre who both really champion emerging playwrights and take risks on new work. The play is rooted in my own experience working in a New York butchers and navigating power, identity and privilege in that setting.”

Papatango’s George Turvey and Chris Foxon said: “After a record number of entries, we and our new partners at Park Theatre were spoiled for choice in this year’s shortlist – all of them big, bold plays tackling profound themes with wit and originality. But Hannah’s writing stood out. Vividly theatrical, confronting social and economic systems nearing crisis, and with a gorgeous, witty ensemble of characters, we can’t wait to develop it over the next year and then get cooking in Park200. If we want ambitious stories for today, then new writers need to be given the chance to shine on big stages, not just confined to studios.”

Jez Bond, Artistic Director of Park Theatre said: “I was thrilled with the wealth of talent in the shortlisted plays. Above all of them one playwright stood out in terms of both the ideas in their script and also in their thoughtful responses as to how they intended to take the play to the next level. Together with Papatango, we are really excited to bring Hannah Doran’s The Meat Kings to the Park200 stage, where the pressure cooker of the setting will marry with the intimacy of our auditorium to provide a truly engaging piece of theatre.”

Other writers produced under the Prize include Laura Waldren, Dawn King, Dominic Mitchell, Iman Qureshi, Samuel Bailey, Tom Morton-Smith, Fiona Doyle, Matt Grinter, Luke Owen, Louise Monaghan, James Rushbrooke, Tajinder Singh Hayer, Tom Powell, Jaki McCarrick, Clive Judd, Igor Memic and Nkenna Akunna.

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Main photo: Papatango New Writing Prize - Hannah Doran

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