Finalists Announced for Wales Drama Award 2016

English Language Version

The finalists have been selected from over 250 other Wales-based drama writers by a panel of judges, including Julie Gardner MBE, producer and co-founder of Bad Wolf, Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales, Anne Edyvean, Head of BBC Writersoom and Bethan Jones, Executive Producer with the BBC.

The winner will receive £10,000 and the opportunity to develop their work with BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales. The selected writer will be announced at a special ceremony at Yr Hen Lyfrgell in Cardiff on the evening of Tuesday 22 November.

The Wales Drama Award is a collaboration between two creative leaders in drama - BBC Cymru Wales and National Theatre Wales - in close partnership with BBC Writersroom. This is the third time this prestigious award for writers based in Wales has been presented.

Speaking on behalf of the judges, Anne Edyvean from BBC Writersroom, says: “Our aim is to find bold, original writers based in Wales. This year we’re really excited by the four finalists who all bring fresh perspectives to their unique stories and contribute something new to the creative landscape in Wales.”

Bethan Jones, Executive Producer with the BBC and member of the judging panel, says: “Finding the time to write and the support to develop can be really difficult at the beginning of a writer's career. This competition is all about rewarding and supporting scriptwriting potential. No one should underestimate how brave writers have to be when they first share their work and we're really grateful to everyone who entered their script. It's been a difficult decision but we're delighted to have four strong finalists."

Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director of National Theatre Wales and judges’ panel member, says: "Validation and support are so critical in any artist’s creative development, and the Wales Drama Award plays an important role in discovering, nurturing, showcasing and giving visibility to writers in Wales. The four shortlisted writers prove that there's a real diversity of talent and ideas here, and they will, no doubt, all create great work in the years ahead.”

Notes to Editors
Issued by BBC Cymru Wales Communications and National Theatre Wales

Catrin Rogers at National Theatre Wales:
catrinrogers@nationaltheatrewales.org or 029 2035 3077 / 07540 686 725

• This year’s Wales Drama Award was launched in May 2016, at a live-streamed event in BBC Cymru Wales Broadcasting House. The panel discussion and Q&A were available on the BBC Writersroom website and YouTube channel.
• The award was open to any writer residing or born in Wales, and aimed to encourage writers who feel passionately about the stories they want to tell, and who have something to offer audiences across the length and breadth of Wales and the wider UK.
• Applicants were asked to submit a full-length script in any medium (min. length 30 minutes), unperformed and unproduced, and in the English language, to BBC Writersroom.
• The Award Ceremony will be held at Yr Hen Lyfrgell, Cardiff at 5.30pm on Tuesday 22 November.

Finalists' Biogs

Hardey Speight
Named after Sir Thomas Hardy, Hardey graduated from the University of The Arts LCC and jumped straight into TV and Film as an Assistant Director working on programmes like Sherlock. After relocating to Cardiff he’s progressed into directing and writing creative content for the advertising world. His work is predominantly centred on telling beautiful stories about the human condition, about real characters, in a moment of crisis, but always with a sense of humour and pathos at heart. A huge influence on his style is the work of Mike Leigh, and more recently Jill Soloway, whose portraits of intricate, complex human relationships are original and compelling.

William Smith
Born in Swansea and currently living in Cardiff, William graduated from the University of Wales, Newport with a degree in Film Studies in 2010. Since graduating he wrote the short film King Of The Castle, which was made as part of the It's My Shout scheme and broadcast on BBC2 Wales in 2011, and Lift Jockeys, a short film produced in 2014. In addition to writing in his spare time, he’s previously worked as a producer and presenter for Radio Cardiff, as well as an office administrator.

Jon Jones
Jon graduated from Manchester University with a degree in English Literature. His first job in the Film and Television industry was as a carpenter, from there working up the Art Department in a variety of roles, finishing up as an Art Director working on a number of BBC dramas and the feature film Young Americans, before returning to study Direction at the National Film and Television School. His first directing job was on the ITV Series, Cold Feet. Jon is married with three growing boys and tries to write when there’s a bit of quiet in the house.

Bethan Marlow
Bethan is a writer that likes to collaborate, test boundaries and telling stories on multiple platforms. She’s particularly passionate about voices within communities that aren’t being heard. She’s driven to write by people’s stories- their journeys, their experiences and their way of surviving in the world. Bethan has created work with communities in Ghana, Colombia and Malawi, as well as working Paines Plough, Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre Wales. She was one of the Traverse 50 writers.

BBC Cymru Wales is a drama centre of excellence for drama. Home to a range of celebrated productions made both in-house and by the independent sector including Doctor Who, Casualty and Pobol Y Cwm. BBC Cymru Wales drama is a major producer of drama for BBC network across television and radio as well as for BBC Wales and S4C.

National Theatre Wales has been making English-language productions in locations all over Wales, the UK, internationally and online since March 2010. It operates from a small base in Cardiff’s city centre, but works all over the country and beyond, using Wales’ rich and diverse landscape, its towns, cities and villages, its incredible stories and rich talent as its inspiration. The Welsh Government and the Arts Council of Wales are supporting National Theatre Wales

BBC Writersroom champions new writing talent across the BBC. Recent successes include The Break for BBC Three, Elliott Kerrigan's Boy Meets Girl, which came from a targeted Trans Comedy talent search; Dominic Mitchell’s In The Flesh, which came from a Writersroom Northern Voices Scheme; and Debbie Moon’s Wolfblood, one of the winners of an open CBBC competition for original new drama.

BBC Writersroom runs schemes targeting talent from a range of sources and works in partnerships with theatres, writers' organisations, screen agencies, and the wider cultural industries. It helps new writers develop their craft through professional training, the website and in open sessions around the country with the UK's best writing talent. 

NTW

Welsh Language Version

CYHOEDDI’R 4 AR Y BRIG YN NGWOBR DDRAMA CYMRU 2016

Heddiw mae BBC Cymru, National Theatre Wales a BBC Writersroom yn cyhoeddi’r awduron sydd wedi cyrraedd rownd derfynol Gwobr Ddrama Cymru 2016. Y pedwar yw Hardey Speight , William Smith, Jon Jones a Bethan Marlow. Bydd pob un ohonynt yn cael eu gwahodd i gwrdd â’r beirniaid a thrafod eu syniadau cyn i’r enillydd gael ei ddewis.

Cafodd y pedwar eu dewis o blith dros 250 o awduron drama eraill yng Nghymru gan banel o feirniaid, yn cynnwys Julie Gardner MBE, cynhyrchydd Bad Wolf, Kully Thiarai, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig National Theatre Wales, Anne Edyvean, Pennaeth BBC Writersoom a Bethan Jones, Cynhyrchydd Gweithredol efo’r BBC.

Cyhoeddir yr enillydd mewn seremoni arbennig yn Yr Hen Lyfrgell yng Nghaerdydd nos Fawrth 22 Tachwedd. Bydd ef neu hi yn derbyn £10,000 a’r cyfle i ddatblygu ei waith gyda BBC Cymru a National Theatre Wales.

Mae Gwobr Ddrama Cymru yn cael ei chynnal ar y cyd rhwng dau arweinydd creadigol mewn drama - BBC Cymru a National Theatre Wales – mewn partneriaeth agos â BBC Writersroom. Dyma’r trydydd tro i’r wobr fawreddog hon i awduron yng Nghymru gael ei chyflwyno.

Yn siarad ar ran y beirniaid, dywedodd Anne Edyvean o BBC Writersroom: “Ein nod yw dod o hyd i awduron cryf, gwreiddiol yng Nghymru. Eleni rydym yn llawn cyffro am y pedwar sydd wedi dod i’r brig, gyda phob un yn cynnig safbwyntiau newydd ar eu straeon unigryw ac yn cyfrannu rhywbeth newydd i’r dirwedd greadigol yng Nghymru.”

Dywed Bethan Jones, Cynhyrchydd Gweithredol efo'r BBC ac aelod o'r panel beirniadu: "Mae canfod yr amser i 'sgwennu a'r gefnogaeth i ddatblygu yn gallu bod yn anodd tu hwnt ar gychwyn gyrfa awdur. Pwrpas y gystadleuaeth hon yw gwobrwyo a chefnogi potensial yr awdur. Ni ellir tanbrisio dewrder awduron wrth iddynt rannu eu gwaith am y tro cyntaf ac rydym yn ddiolchgawr iawn i bawb wnaeth gynnig sgript. Mae'r penderfyniad wedi bod yn un anodd ond rydym yn falch iawn o gael pedwar cryf iawn yn y rownd derfynol."

Dywedodd Kully Thiarai, Cyfarwyddwr Artistig National Theatre Wales ac un o’r beirniaid, “Mae dilysiad a chefnogaeth yn allweddol yn natblygiad creadigol unrhyw artist, ac mae Gwobr Ddrama Cymru yn chawrae rôl pwysig mewn darganfod, magu, rhannu a rhoi gwelededd i ysgrifennwyr yng Nghymru. Mae’r pedwar ysgrifennwr ar y rhestr fer yn profi bod gwledd o ddoniau a syniadau yma, ac mi fydd pob un, heb os nag onibai, yn creu gwaith gwych yn y blynyddoedd i ddod."

Cyhoeddwyd gan adran gyfathrebu BBC Cymru a National Theatre Wales

Catrin Rogers yn National Theatre Wales:
catrinrogers@nationaltheatrewales.org neu 029 2035 3077 / 07540 686 725

Nodiadau i olygyddion

• Lansiwyd Gwobr Ddrama Cymru eleni ym mis Mai 2016, mewn digwyddiad gafodd ei ffrydio’n fyw o Dŷ Darlledu BBC Cymru. Roedd y sgwrs panel a’r sesiwn holi ac ate bar gael ar wefan a sianel YouTube BBC Writersoom .
• Mae’r Wobr yn agored i unrhyw awdur sy’n byw yng Nghymru, gyda’r nod o annog awduron sy’n teimlo’n angerddol dros y straeon y maen nhw am eu hadrodd, ac sydd â rhywbeth i’w gynnig i gynulleidfaoedd ledled Cymru a’r DU yn ehangach.
• Gofynnir i ymgeiswyr gyflwyno sgript lawn mewn unrhyw gyfrwng (isafswm hyd o 30 munud), sydd heb ei pherfformio na’u gynhyrchu, yn Saesneg, i BBC Writersroom.
• Cynhelir y Seremoni Wobrwyo yn Yr Hen Lyfrgell, Caerdydd am 5.30pm ddydd Mawrth 22 Tachwedd.

BYWGRAFFIADAU’R 4 DDAETH I’R BRIG

Hardey Speight
Wedi’i enwi ar ôl Syr Thomas Hardy, graddiodd Hardey o Brifysgol y Celfyddydau LCC ac ymuno’n syth â’r diwydiant teledu a ffilm fel Cyfarwyddwr Cynorthwyol, yn gweithio ar raglenni fel Sherlock. Ar ôl symud i Gaerdydd, dechreuodd gyfarwyddo ac ysgrifennu cynnwys creadigol i fyd hysbysebu. Mae ei waith yn canolbwyntio ar adrodd straeon prydferth am y cyflwr dynol, am gymeriadau go iawn mewn argyfwng, ond gyda digrifwch a phathos wrth wraidd y cwbl. Mae gwaith Mike Leigh yn ddylanwad mawr arno, ac yn fwy diweddar gwaith Jill Soloway, y mae ei phortreadau o berthnasoedd dynol manwl a chymhleth yn wreiddiol ac yn ddeniadol.

William Smith
Wedi’i eni yn Abertawe ac yn byw nawr yng Nghaerdydd, graddiodd William o Brifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd gyda gradd mewn Astudiaethau Ffilm yn 2010. Ers graddio mae wedi ysgrifennu’r ffilm fer "King of The Castle", a wnaed fel rhan o’r cynllun "It's My Shout" a’i darlledu ar BBC2 Cymru 2011, a "Lift Jockeys", ffilm fer a gynhyrchwyd yn 2014. Yn ogystal ag ysgrifennu yn ei amser rhydd, mae wedi gweithio fel cynhyrchydd a chyflwynydd i Radio Caerdydd, yn ogystal â gweinyddydd swyddfa.

Jon Jones
Graddiodd Jon o Brifysgol Manceinion gyda gradd mewn Llenyddiaeth Saesneg. Ei swydd gyntaf yn y diwydiant Ffilm a Theledu oedd fel saer, cyn gweithio’i ffordd i fyny yn yr Adran Gelf mewn amrywiaeth o rolau tan cyrraedd swydd Cyfarwyddwr Celf, yn gweithio ar nifer o ddramâu i’r BBC a’r ffilm hir ‘Young Americans’, cyn dychwelyd i astudio Cyfarwyddo yn yr Ysgol Ffilm a Theledu Genedlaethol. Roedd ei waith cyfarwyddo cyntaf ar y gyfres ITV, Cold Feet. Mae Jon yn briod gyda thri bachgen ifanc, ac mae’n ceisio ysgrifennu pan fydd ychydig o dawelwch yn y tŷ.

Bethan Marlow
Mae Bethan yn awdur sy’n hoff o gydweithio, profi ffiniau ac adrodd straeon ar sawl platfform. Mae’n angerddol iawn am leisiau mewn cymunedau nad ydynt yn cael eu clywed. Mae’n cael ei sbarduno i ysgrifennu gan straeon pobl – eu teithiau, eu profiadau a’u ffyrdd o oroesi yn y byd. Mae Bethan wedi creu gwaith gyda chymunedau yn Ghana, Colombia a Malawi, yn ogystal â gweithio gyda Paines Plough, Royal Shakespeare Company a National Theatre Wales. Hi oedd un o awduron Traverse 50.

Mae BBC Cymru yn ganolfan ragoriaeth ar gyfer drama. Mae’n gartref i nifer o gynyrchiadau arobryn a wnaed yn fewnol a gan y sector annibynnol yn cynnwys Doctor Who, Casualty, Pobol Y Cwm a Sherlock. Mae drama yn gynhyrchydd drama pwysig ar gyfer rhwydwaith y BBC ar draws teledu a radio, yn ogystal ag ar gyfer BBC Cymru ac S4C.

Mae National Theatre Wales wedi bod yn gwneud cynyrchiadau Saesneg mewn lleoliadau ledled Cymru, y DU, yn rhyngwladol ac ar-lein ers mis Mawrth 2010. Mae’n gweithredu o leoliad bach yng nghanol dinas Caerdydd, ond mae’n gweithio ar draws y wlad a thu hwnt, gan ddefnyddio tirlun cyfoethog ac amrywiol Cymru, ei threfi, ei dinasoedd a’i phentrefi, ei straeon anhygoel a’i thalent gyfoethog yn ysbrydoliaeth. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Chyngor Celfyddydau Cymru yn cefnogi National Theatre Wales. nationaltheatrewales.org
Mae BBC Writersroom yn hyrwyddo talent ysgrifennu newydd mewn ffilm, teledu, radio a theatr. Mae ei llwyddiannau diweddar yn cynnwys cyfres lwyddiannus yr awdures o Gymru Debbie Moon ar gyfer CBBC, ‘WolfBlood’, ac ar hyn o bryd mae’r ddrama newydd In The Flesh gan Dominic Mitchell yn cael ei chynhyrchu ar gyfer BBC Three Drama.

Maent yn cynnal cynlluniau yn targedu talent o ystod o ffynonellau ac yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth gyda theatrau, sefydliadau awduron, asiantaethau sgrîn, a’r diwydiannau diwylliannol ehangach.

Mae BBC Writersroom yn helpu awduron newydd i ddatblygu eu crefft drwy’r wefan ac mewn sesiynau agored ar draws y wlad gyda thalent ysgrifennu orau’r DU. 

NTW

Related BBC Links

• BBC Writersroom

Related Web Links

• National Theatre Wales