Alfred Fagon Award Supporting Black British Playwrights

The Alfred Fagon Award is a prestigious annual prize dedicated to the best new play written by a Black British playwright of Caribbean or African descent residing in the United Kingdom. Established in 1996 and first awarded in 1997, the prize serves as a critical platform for emerging and established voices in Black British theatre, providing both financial support and professional recognition.

Background and Origins

The award was created to honor the legacy of Alfred Fagon (1937–1986), a Jamaican-born poet, actor, and playwright who was a pivotal figure in Black British drama during the 1970s and 1980s. Following Fagon's untimely death from a heart attack in 1986, his peers organized a memorial event at the Tricycle Theatre (now the Kiln Theatre) in London. The donations collected during this evening formed the seed money for a fund intended to support future generations of Black British playwrights.

The award was co-founded by a group of influential figures, including Yvonne Brewster OBE, Roland Rees, Oscar James, Sheelagh Killeen Rees, Paul Stephenson OBE, and Mustapha Matura. Yvonne Brewster, a co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company, was a close friend of Fagon, while Mustapha Matura, a Trinidadian-born playwright, had encouraged Fagon to pursue playwriting early in his career.

Evolution and Administration

Initially, the award was open exclusively to playwrights of Caribbean descent. However, in 2006, to mark its tenth anniversary, the eligibility criteria were expanded to include playwrights of African descent. The award is operated as a registered charity and offers a prize of £6,000 to the winner. Notably, plays do not need to have been professionally produced to be eligible for submission.

Over the years, administrative support has been provided by the Talawa Theatre Company, Tiata Fahodzi, and since 2014, by Pauline Walker of PDW Productions. The award ceremonies have been hosted at some of the UK's most prestigious venues, including the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre, and the Kiln Theatre.

Associated Awards and Bursaries

To further support the development of Black British playwrights, the Alfred Fagon Award has introduced complementary prizes:

• Roland Rees Bursary: Established in 2015 in memory of co-founder Roland Rees, this bursary provides £3,000 annually to a playwright to allow them more time to focus on their writing.
• Mustapha Matura Award and Mentoring Programme: Launched in 2021 for the 25th anniversary, this program targets emerging playwrights aged 25 and under. It includes a £3,000 cash prize and a nine-month mentoring period with a leading Black British playwright.
• Audience Award: A public-voted award that ran from 2015 to 2017.

Legacy and Impact

The Alfred Fagon Award has been instrumental in launching the careers of several major playwrights. Roy Williams, the inaugural winner in 1997, has become one of the most produced Black British playwrights of his generation. His play Sucker Punch, which won the award in 2010, gained significant acclaim and was published as a Methuen Drama Modern Classic.

By providing a financial lifeline and industry visibility, the award continues to ensure that the stories and perspectives of Black British writers are represented on the world's most prestigious stages, from the Royal Shakespeare Company to the West End.