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| Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica wins Susan Smith Blackburn playwright prize | Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica wins Susan Smith Blackburn playwright prize |
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| Another day, another major award for playwright Lucy Kirkwood. Her smash hit Chimerica has picked up the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize in the United States. | Another day, another major award for playwright Lucy Kirkwood. Her smash hit Chimerica has picked up the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize in the United States. |
| Set up in 1978, the award is given annually to a female playwright working in English and it is deemed one of the most distinguished in America's prize-heavy new writing culture. Previous winners include Caryl Churchill and Timberlake Wertenbaker – though the majority have been American writers. | Set up in 1978, the award is given annually to a female playwright working in English and it is deemed one of the most distinguished in America's prize-heavy new writing culture. Previous winners include Caryl Churchill and Timberlake Wertenbaker – though the majority have been American writers. |
| Kirkwood received the award from director Phyllida Lloyd at a ceremony in London yesterday. She receives $25,000 and a signed print by the artist Willem de Kooning created especially for the award. Chimerica, which ran at the Almeida and Harold Pinter theatres in London last year and follows a photojournalist trying to track down the Tiananmen Square "Tank Man", has already picked up best new play at the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards. | Kirkwood received the award from director Phyllida Lloyd at a ceremony in London yesterday. She receives $25,000 and a signed print by the artist Willem de Kooning created especially for the award. Chimerica, which ran at the Almeida and Harold Pinter theatres in London last year and follows a photojournalist trying to track down the Tiananmen Square "Tank Man", has already picked up best new play at the Evening Standard and Critics' Circle awards. |
| It comes at an extraordinary time for the 29-year-old playwright. Her new television series The Smoke, set in a hard-up Stratford fire station, kicked off to impressive reviews last week, while her latest stage project – a collaboration with the dance company Lost Dog entitled Like Rabbits – will open at the Brighton festival in May. | It comes at an extraordinary time for the 29-year-old playwright. Her new television series The Smoke, set in a hard-up Stratford fire station, kicked off to impressive reviews last week, while her latest stage project – a collaboration with the dance company Lost Dog entitled Like Rabbits – will open at the Brighton festival in May. |
| This year's Susan Smith Blackburn prize was dominated by British writers. Five appeared on the shortlist and the special commendation – an award of $5,000 – was presented to Phoebe Waller-Bridge for her debut play Fleabag, an outrageous monologue that premiered at the Edinburgh fringe and has since seen her named most promising playwright at the Critics' Circle awards. | This year's Susan Smith Blackburn prize was dominated by British writers. Five appeared on the shortlist and the special commendation – an award of $5,000 – was presented to Phoebe Waller-Bridge for her debut play Fleabag, an outrageous monologue that premiered at the Edinburgh fringe and has since seen her named most promising playwright at the Critics' Circle awards. |
| Kirkwood's win may also enhance the possibility of Chimerica's transferring across the Atlantic. Last month, she downplayed the idea of a Broadway production on account of a lukewarm New York Times award. However, this was her second major American prize, after she won the Berwin Lee award in November. Even so, Kirkwood remains an unknown quantity in America, though her previous play NSFW is due to receive its American premiere in 2015 and she is also on commission to the Manhattan Theatre Club. | |
| • This article was amended on 11 March 2014. An earlier version said that NSFW had received its American premiere at the end of last year. It will be premiered in 2015. |