Tomcat, a new drama by James Rushbrooke exploring the ethics of genetic screening, mental illness and abortion, has won the Papatango New Writing Prize and will be staged at Southwark Playhouse in October.
Set in the near future, in a world where disease and disorders have been wiped out, if follows 12-year-old Jess, a girl with something dangerous in her DNA. Charlie is watching her and will do whatever it takes to keep society safe.
Delving into the murky moral areas surrounding screening, it explores what lengths we will go to to keep humanity healthy.
Speaking about the play, George Turvey, Papatango’s Artistic Director, said: “Tomcat was the outstanding play from over 600 entries. James is a highly original new writer and Tomcat is one of the most exciting scripts we’ve ever had. Its exploration of medical ethics, mental illness and abortion tackles the urgency and controversy of these issues with sensitivity.”
Rushbrooke, who has previously written award-winning training programmes for children in care, follows an impressive list of Papatango Prize winners including BAFTA winner Dominic Mitchell, RNT Foundation Playwright Award winner Dawn King and Tom Morton-Smith, whose Oppenheimer was recently staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and transferred to London.
The Papatango New Writing Prize is an annual award that guarantees its winner a fully staged production and publication.
The debut full length piece by 33-year-old Rushbrooke will run from 28 October to 21 November.