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omnibus

Daughter Katie Mulgrew wins Kudos North award 150 150 mhamer

Daughter Katie Mulgrew wins Kudos North award

One of Jimmy Cricket’s daughters has won a prestigious award for her writing.

Katie Mulgrew

Katie Mulgrew (right), a writer and stand-up comedian from Rochdale, was one of three winners of the Northern Writers Award run by Kudos North, the Manchester-based production arm of Kudos.

The awards, run in conjunction with the BBC Writersroom, were launched in October 2017 to identify and nurture emerging northern voices. Judges were so overwhelmed by the standard of entries that three, rather than the previously stipulated two, winners were selected.

The trio each receive a £2,000 prize to get an idea developed with mentorship from acclaimed northern writers Danny Brocklehurst and Stephen Butchard.

Katie had her first full-length play, Omnibus, staged at the Liverpool Unity Theatre in 2017. She has written for BBC Radio 4’s Newsquiz and script-edited the award-winning short film Ctrl Z.

Katie Mulgrew was one of three winners of the Kudos North award

Proud dad Jimmy said on social media channel Twitter: “Congratulations to my daughter Katie who has won this prestigious award as a talented writer!”

The other two award winners were Niki Rooney, a writer from Glasgow who has written extensively for Hollyoaks (C4) and tween drama Ride (Nickelodeon), and Helen Black, an author from Pontefract in West Yorkshire who has six published books in her Lily Valentine series alongside a new fiction series called Taking Liberties.

Laura Conway, Development Producer at Kudos North, said: “I am thrilled to find three fabulous Northern voices who are new to both Kudos and the BBC Writersroom.

“The level of work was extremely high which made the decision near impossible but Katie, Helen and Niki all expressed clear, urgent visions for their pitches and created characters which stayed with me long after the judging day.

“Championing top talent is what this award is all about and to find three exceptional, female writers is genuinely exciting – I can’t wait to get cracking on development.”

From 300 scripts received, 23 were invited to submit a one-page pitch for a TV drama series idea. These were read by judges and whittled down to six, which were invited to BBC Media City in Manchester to pitch their idea to a panel including Ayela Butt, BBC Drama Co –Commissioner, Anne Edyvean, Head of the BBC Writersroom, Sarah Stack, Head of Development at Kudos and Laura Conway Development Producer at Kudos North.

The winners will now be given one-on-one support by Kudos North in developing their idea before presenting to BBC commissioner Mona Qureshi and co-commissioner Ayela Butt.

Julius Caesar, UK prime ministers and Omnibus 150 150 mhamer

Julius Caesar, UK prime ministers and Omnibus

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket talked about Julius Caesar, British prime ministers and an award-winning play written by one of his daughters in a recent newspaper column.

Writing in the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post (LEP), the famous entertainer, 71, mentions Omnibus, which was staged for the first time in Liverpool in June.

Omnibus, written by comedian Katie Mulgrew, was the winner two years ago of the first ever Liverpool Hope University play-writing prize. It is about a group of friends following a soap opera.

And she was given the opportunity to see her debut play on stage when it was performed at the Unity Theatre Liverpool in association with the Royal Court (which was closed for development work) to rave reviews!

Katie Mulgrew’s ‘play is very funny’ – The Stage 150 150 mhamer

Katie Mulgrew’s ‘play is very funny’ – The Stage

Jimmy Cricket and Katie Mulgrew
An award-winning play written by Jimmy Cricket’s daughter, Katie Mulgrew, is being staged in Liverpool this week.
Review of Katie Mulgrew's play, Omnibus

Review of Katie Mulgrew’s debut play in The Stage

Comedian Katie (pictured above with Jimmy) was the winner two years ago of the first ever Liverpool Hope University play-writing prize, with her work entitled Omnibus, which follows a group of friends following a soap opera.

Not only did she earn herself £10,000 in the process, but she was given the opportunity to see her debut play produced by the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool.
And it is currently being performed at the Unity Theatre Liverpool in association with the Royal Court, which is closed for development work, to rave reviews!
The Stage, the world’s oldest and best theatre publication, says in a review: “The plot manages to stay just the right side of plausible to hold the audience’s attention and the play has a satisfying overall shape to it.”
It also tweeted: “Entertaining and very funny debut play by .”
Review of Katie Mulgrew's play, Omnibus
Daughter Katie wins coveted playwriting prize 150 150 mhamer

Daughter Katie wins coveted playwriting prize

The Stage newspaper reported on Katie Mulgrew's success

Famous entertainer Jimmy Cricket has expressed his immense pride after daughter Katie won a prestigious playwriting competition.

The Rochdale Observer reported on Katie Mulgrew's success

Katie Mulgrew, 30, was the winner of the first ever Liverpool Hope University playwriting prize, with her work entitled Omnibus, which follows a group of friends following a soap opera.

Not only did she earn herself £10,000 in the process, but she now has the opportunity to see the play produced by the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, one of the partners for the competition along with the Liverpool Echo newspaper.

She was the only female comic among the 10 finalists.

Katie told The Stage newspaper: “I entered the Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize because some of my heroes are on the judging panel, and I would adore the opportunity to work with such a beautiful theatre, positively soaked in history and talent.”

Her play was shortlisted at the start of the year as part of a group of 10 plays that went to a judging panel consisting of:

–         Comedienne Kathy Burke

–         Screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce

–          Playwright, director and visiting professor at Liverpool Hope University John Godber

–          Playwriter & arts journalist  Paul Allen

–          Chief executive of the Royal Court Theatre Kevin Fearon

–          Principal Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies at Liverpool Hope University‌ Dr John Bennett

–          Liverpool Echo arts editor Catherine Jones

Jimmy said: “I am really thrilled for Katie and am incredibly proud of this tremendous achievement.”

The Rochdale Observer reported on Katie Mulgrew's success