Carlow Little Theatre Society were delighted to announce the winners of their fifth annual International One-Act Playwriting Competition earlier this month, which once again attracted a large number of submissions from Ireland and all around the world. After yet another extremely close contest this year, their independent adjudicators declared the winning results in the following order:
𝟭𝘀𝘁: We Are Not Sheep by Dermot Davis
𝟮𝗻𝗱: Sixty Years a Growing by Henry Hudson
𝟯𝗿𝗱: Family Grief Counseling by Brandon Hicks
Best Irish Play: We Are Not Sheep by Dermot Davis
Dublin based playwright, Dermot Davis, had the distinction of picking up the award for the 1st place play (overall winner) and the winner of Best Irish Play in the competition. This is the second successive year that an Irish playwright has picked up both awards, which is testament to the increasing quality of Irish entries to the competition, which continues to grow from strength to strength, every year.
As winner of the ‘Overall’ and ‘Best Irish’ Play categories, Dermot was the happy recipient of a cheque for €500 and €300 respectively for the above awards, plus two beautiful, locally sourced, trophies.
We Are Not Sheep is set in a hospital waiting room, where Brent and Amy await the fate of their young daughter Emma, who suffered a mysterious fall at school that leaves her in a medically induced coma. While Amy is stricken with worry, Brent becomes consumed by the notion that sinister forces are conspiring to use Emma for covert experimentation. Determined to protect Emma from any manipulative agenda, they challenge the hospital’s authority and reject what they perceive as deceit, underscoring their motto to never be ‘sheep’.
Reacting to his win Dermot said “The International One-Act Playwriting Competition is a fantastic platform for new writing and I’m absolutely buzzing to have won. To be chosen from so many talented playwrights is truly humbling. Thank you to the judges and to Carlow Little Theatre for this incredible honour.”
Mark Cradock, President of Carlow Little Theatre Society, and Managing Director of competition sponsor Maven TM, was full of praise for the entrants and winner “A key purpose of the competition is to give recognition and reward to deserving writers creating topical, entertaining and compelling dramatic theatre. The quality of the entries this year was very high, with many memorable stories, and well-crafted plays. Dermot’s play stood out on many levels – the story concept and topicality, the vividness of the characters, the sharp dialogue, the well-honed stagecraft, and the plot that carried a real punch. Our heartfelt congratulations to Dermot on a superlative achievement, a very well deserving winner.”
