The play, which was named the winner of the Finborough Theatre’s ETPEP Award 2020 will be streamed for a week from the 1st April.
Directed by Blanche McIntyre, the rehearsed reading will be streamed for free via the Finborough Theatre’s Youtube channel from the 1st April until the Thursday the 8th April as part of #FinboroughForFree.
Starring Robyn Cara (Trying, Ackley Bridge), Hannah Millward (Broadchurch, Bliss) and Helen Monks (Raised by Wolves, Upstart Crow), Julia Grogan’s play examines the he dangerous reality of the hyper-sexualisation and exploitation of young people.
Kiera, Zainab and Lucy are smart, outrageous and savvy. They’ve figured out that there are some things school sex ed lessons don’t cover. Now, as they grow from girls into women, they’re going to find the answers…
But nothing ever happens in their town, and they’re fifteen, so what do they know?
By turns funny and poignant, their experiences as they grow from girls into women shine a light on contemporary desire, the pain we feel and the lengths we go to…
The streaming will also be available with subtitles on Scenesaver, and will also be free to view.
Playfight won the 2020 ETPEP Award which is a playwriting prize for new UK playwrights who work or have worked in the theatre industry, run by the Finborough Theatre in association with the Experienced Theatre Practitioners Early Playwriting Trust (ETPEP). The winner received a prize of £6,000, a development relationship with the Finborough Theatre including one-to-one dramaturgy with Finborough Theatre Artistic Director and playwright Neil McPherson; and an online rehearsed reading performance. Nine longlisted candidates also received a prize of £300.
Playwright Julia Grogan, grew up in the Midlands and moved to London to train as an actor at Rose Bruford College, graduating in 2018. Shortly after graduating, she started working behind the bar at the Royal Court Theatre and was invited to join their Royal Court Intro Writers’ Group. As a result, she wrote Playfight, her first play. Julia co-wrote dark historical comedy Belly Up which premiered at the Vault Festival 2020 and will be performed at the Underbelly at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival. She is currently working on a new dark comedy Dark Side of June, commissioned by members of the Young Vic Genesis programme. Acting includes At Sea (BBC Radio 4), Belly Up (Vault Festival) and Island Town (Catalyst Festival).
Playfight will be streaming from the 1st to the 8th April via Youtube.