Karis Kelly Wins Women's Prize for Playwriting

Kelly’s play Consumed, a drama about four generations of Northern Irish women at a 90th birthday party in a “house full of hungry ghosts” beat out more than 850 scripts that were entered for the prize. This is an outstanding achievement and we are so thrilled that Karis' work is yet again being recognised by another incredibly prestigious and competitive award. Last year, the play won the renowned Peggy Ramsay Foundation/Film4 bursary, enabling Karis to become the Lyric Theatre's Resident Playwright 2022. We are very privileged to be developing a brand new, large scale commission with Karis this year as part of this bursary.

‘’Karis is an incredibly talented writer for both stage and screen. Her work is deeply engaged with the nuance and complexity of holding multitudinous identities - particularly from a gendered and nationalistic perspective - and astonishing in its ambition. Her ability to excavate and interrogate these themes with courage, wit and sensitivity - and in a thoroughly engaging and entertaining way - is remarkable. She has a bold and unique voice. Her work is focused, with razor precision, on exploring a specifically contemporary, Northern Irish female experience; it's often dangerous, diabolical and very funny.’’ – Rebecca Mairs, Lyric Theatre Literary Manager

She has also, in a freelance capacity, been integral to the delivery of our Young Playwrights Programme with Fighting Words over the past three years and a huge champion of younger artists in Northern Ireland. Later this year, as part of their role as the Lyric's Resident Playwright, they will be leading on some exciting artist development projects.

We'd like to warmly congratulate the other shortlisted writers: Alison Carr, Somebody Jones, Isabella Leung. Lydia Luke, Isley Lynn and Paula B Stanic. Please seek them out and support their work. Read it. See it. Be it.