RECORD-BREAKING SUBMISSIONS FOR SOHO THEATRE’S VERITY BARGATE AWARD 2026

• 2,129 submissions received for the Verity Bargate Award 2026
• Full judging panel announced: Rufus Norris, Bryony Kimmings and Monica Ali join the panel alongside Stephen Garrett (Chair), Ambika Mod, Beth Steel and Roy Williams.
• Winners to be announced in late 2026
• The Verity Bargate Award is sponsored by Character 7

This month, our theatre team have been blown away by the record-breaking number of submissions received for Soho Theatre’s Verity Bargate Award 2026 – a staggering 2,129 new plays are up for consideration, a 25% increase from the previous round in 2024, which received 1,700 submissions. Our team can’t wait to read the plays, before a winner is selected by our incredible judging panel.

We can now reveal that the full list of judges for this year : Rufus Norris (Former Artistic Director of the National Theatre),  performance artist and screenwriter Bryony Kimmings (I’m a Phoenix, Bitch, Battersea Arts Centre; Fake It Till You Make It, Soho Theatre; Last Christmas, Netflix) and novelist Monica Ali (Brick Lane, Alentejo Blue, Love Marriage) will join panel Chair,  Stephen Garrett of award-winning independent production company  Character 7 (The Night Manager, Culprits, The Undoing), actor Ambika Mod (Porn Play, Royal Court; One Day, Netflix), playwrights Beth Steel (Till the Stars Come Down, National Theatre; The House of Shades, Almeida) and Roy Williams (Death of England, National Theatre; Sucker Punch, Royal Court).

The winner of the Verity Bargate Award will be announced in late 2026 and will receive:

• £12,000 for an exclusive option for Soho Theatre to produce the prize-winning play
• A full London run of the play staged at Soho Theatre

Alongside the winner of the Award, another writer will receive the Character 7 Commission, selected by Verity Bargate Award sponsor Character 7 in consultation with Soho Theatre. This will include a commission by Soho Theatre to join the 2027 cohort of writers on Soho ReDraft; a programme aimed at supporting playwrights in developing existing first drafts of their plays into production-ready scripts.

About the Verity Bargate Award

Launched in 1981, the VERITY BARGATE AWARD is Soho Theatre’s flagship playwrighting competition, sponsored by Character 7 in a long-term partnership now spanning five editions. It is one of the longest-established playwrighting awards in the UK and the only award to guarantee the winning play a fully staged production in one of Soho Theatre’s stages in their central London venue. The award honours Verity Bargate, Soho’s co-founder who passionately championed new writing during her time at the small but hugely influential fringe theatre company, Soho Poly.

For 50 years Soho Theatre has championed new writing, from lunch time plays in the 1970s to today’s commissions, attachments, Writers’ Labs and awards. Open to new and emerging UK and Irish writers, the Verity Bargate Award uncovers the best new plays and launches the careers of some of Britain’s most established playwrights and screenwriters. Previous winners and nominees include Eoin McAndrew (Little Brother at Soho Theatre, 2025), Sam Grabiner (Boys on the Verge of Tears at Soho Theatre, 2024), Nathan Ellis (Super High Resolution at Soho Theatre, 2022), Amanda Wilkin (Shedding a Skin at Soho Theatre, 2021 & 2022), Matt Charman (A Night at the Dogs, 2004), Vicky Jones (The One at Soho Theatre, 2014), Toby Whithouse (Jump Mr Malinoff Jump, 1998) and many, many more.

About Soho Theatre

SOHO THEATRE is London’s most vibrant producer for new theatre, comedy and cabaret. Our central London venue in Soho is celebrating 25 years as one of the UK’s busiest with a buzzing bar, lively audiences and an entertaining year-round festival programme with a queer, punk, counter-culture flavour. Our second London venue SOHO THEATRE WALTHAMSTOW  opened in May 2025, bringing our vibrant programme to its biggest stage yet. Work extends beyond our venues with a full touring programme and connections with New York, Melbourne and Mumbai. Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a huge part of our year, we present many shows and scout hundreds more and we are the UK’s leading presenter of comedians from India. Our filmed comedy specials can be seen on international airlines and online. And our artist development and participation programmes are as important as the work on our stages. Soho Theatre is a charity and social enterprise. Soho Theatre Walthamstow is a community interest company.  sohotheatre.com / @sohotheatre.

 About Character 7

Character 7 is an award-winning independent production company based in London.

Founded by Stephen Garrett, the company is driven by a deep belief in the power of great writing and the importance of nurturing talent. Character 7 champions both established and emerging voices; collaborating with leading screenwriters, directors, and the next generation of storytellers shaping the future of screen drama.

Reflecting its long-term commitment to discovering and supporting new writers, Character 7 is the headline sponsor of Soho Theatre’s Verity Bargate Award and the Royal Court’s Open Submission Festival.

Renowned for producing intelligent, stylish, and emotionally charged drama, Character 7 has worked with the BBC, AMC, HBO, Lionsgate, Starz, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ to deliver globally acclaimed series including The Night Manager, Culprits, The Undoing, and The Rook.

Season 1 of The Night Manager was nominated for twelve Emmys and won three Golden Globes. Season 2 – once again led by Garrett as Executive Producer – arrived on screens around the world in January 2026.