Dublin writer Richard Molloy has been shortlisted for the £10,000 Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize. His play, O Do Not Love Too Long, was read by judges including actress Kathy Burke, writer Frank Cottrell Boyce, playwright John Godber, critic Paul Allen, Royal Court Liverpool chief executive Kevin Fearon, drama academic Dr John Bennett and arts editor Catherine Jones.
Molloy is one of 10 writers in contention for the inaugural prize, which will be announced on April 1st at Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus in Liverpool. The Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize is Britain’s second largest playwriting prize after the Bruntwood Prize. As well as being presented with £10,000, the winning writer’s work will be considered for production by the Royal Court Liverpool.
Molloy’s play, set on the front porch of a small apartment building in contemporary London, tells the story of two ageing Irish immigrants and their search for a purpose in a city which has long since cut them adrift.
Secondary school teacher Molloy grew up in Dublin. He has lived and worked in Germany, Sweden, and the US but now lives in London where, after two years as librarian and admissions officer at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he began to teach English and write plays. The Separation, which premiered at Project Arts Centre in Dublin last June, was his first production. It transferred to Theatre503 in January, picking up a Best New Play Offie award nomination.
Molloy is currently working on a new play about Ireland’s Magdalene laundries entitled The Good Shepherd.
A lifelong Liverpool fan, Molloy said: “I entered the competition in honour of my beloved Liverpool FC and the glorious football they played on the way to their operatic, fall-at-the-final-hurdle failure to win the league in 2014.”
Dr John Bennett, principal lecturer in drama at Liverpool Hope and one of the judges, said: “Whilst the range of settings and characters chosen by our writers was vast, it shows exactly why comedy is important – it crosses boundaries of age and time, and is a way for people to connect. We are very excited to announce which of these exciting voices will take the prize.”
Iain Christie, marketing manager at the Royal Court Liverpool said: “After such a long and thorough process it is really exciting to be down to the last leg. All of these writers should be proud because we started with 200 scripts, so to get to the last 10 is a big achievement in itself. I’m sure that they will all want to be number one to collect the big prize so we are all looking forward to the big announcement on April 1st.”
