Play Selected for RSC Performance

Skipton Academy student Felicity Williamson, Year 8, has had her play ‘Abandoned’ selected to be performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in August. The play is one of 37 selected from over 2,000 submissions as part of the RSC's 37 Plays project.

Abandoned is a story about a young autistic girl who meets an islander who teaches her to accept herself for who she is. The play explores the themes of acceptance, belonging, and self-discovery.

"I'm so excited that my play has been selected for performance by the RSC," said Felicity. "It's a dream come true. I hope that my play will help to raise awareness of autism and show people that autistic people are just like everyone else."

The 37 Plays project is a national initiative that aims to celebrate the diversity of British playwriting. The 37 plays selected for performance will be staged across the UK and online in August 2023. Each play will receive a staged reading at an RSC associate theatre and in Stratford at The Other Place, with writers receiving dramaturgical support to take their play to the next draft.

Erica Whyman, RSC acting artistic director, said: “Every one of the shortlisted plays deserves attention and a production, so the decision-making was really hard. We chose the 37 to represent the widest range of ideas, voices and stories, deliberately including plays by accomplished writers alongside plays that showed enormous promise by first-time playwrights."

The judging panel was chaired by Whyman and included theatre-maker Rachel Bagshaw, actor Ray Fearon, theatre critic Lyn Gardner, RSC Youth Advisory Board members Harry and Ella, author Sharna Jackson, Ian Charleson Award-winner Bally Gill, playwrights Mark Ravenhill and Juliet Gilkes Romero and actor/writer David Threlfall.

Felicity's play is a powerful and important story that will resonate with audiences of all ages. Congratulations to Felicity on her achievement!

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