2015 SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition Winners Revealed

The winners have been announced for the 2015 SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition. The announcements were made on 2 October at an awards ceremony in Cape Town following a week of staged readings of the five finalists' scripts.

Francois Joubert won the top prize for his script, FOUR/VIER, which explores corruption as well as the deconstruction of white-Afrikaans masculinity and white privilege. His play will be produced by the Imbewu Trust for a professional run in Cape Town next year.

Joubert is a performing artist, actor, singer and playwright who has a BA Honours Degree in Drama, graduating cum laude from the University of Pretoria in 2014. Additionally 2014 proved to open a big door of opportunity when renowned writer, singer, actor and director Nataniël personally approached Joubert to be in his current production AFTER ANIMALS which ran this year at Emperor's Palace Casino in Johannesburg. Joubert performed as vocalist, dancer and actor in the production.

"I feel humbled at having won and it doesn't feel real yet!" says Joubert. "I have found this week invaluable and wish there were more platforms like SCrIBE."

Kimberley Buckle was awarded the "Scribblers Dream", which provides the opportunity to be partnered with a mentor to develop her writing style and technique. Kimberley submitted her play, THE JASMINE GHOST as her entry. The other finalists were Tamara Guhrs' THIN AIR, Lee Doubell's KILLING JONATHAN and Terence Makapan's HIM. I. HER.

Created by the Imbewu Trust and now in its fourth year, SCrIBE is a national competition which provides a platform for playwrights to develop their work. Following the staged readings, which are directed by professional directors, the writer is able to engage in post-show discussions with the audience, director, cast and Imbewu Trust team about the script. Since its inception, SCrIBE has received more than one hundred texts and staged fifteen readings.

Speaking at the awards, Paul Griffiths, co-founder of the Imbewu Trust, said that in order for theatre to develop, writing needs to develop. "SCrIBE was established as an investment in writers, to create a space where writer, director, actors and audience can meet for a shared experience and dialogue that develops and creates a theatre script. The week of readings always bring constructive and stimulating feedback."

Announcing the awards, fellow Imbewu Trust co-founder Samantha de Romijn thanked the directors for their work in bringing the scripts to life. She commented that the SCrIBE competition had evolved each year to address how best it can cater for the needs of a writer to develop their work. "Likewise, each year, we have reviewed how we can work with a particular script or writer for their maximum benefit. This year we are delighted to present Francois with the production prize and Kim with the Scribbler's Dream."

The 2014 SCrIBE winner, Joanna Evans, will have her play FOUR SMALL GODS produced by the Imbewu Trust at Magnet Theatre from 30 October to 10 November.

Other previous entrants have gone on to rework their text as a result of the open readings and some on to professional runs. Menzi Mkhwane was the 2014 recipient of the script development award for his play LAST COW STANDING. His prize was to work with Standard Bank Young Artist Neil Coppen, and the play was produced at the Cape Town Fringe festival this year.

The Imbewu Trust is a non-profit organisation which was established to promote the development of contemporary South African theatre and arts and to help showcase it on an international stage. It seeks to create an accessible community of varied voices that can flourish through collaboration, resourcefulness and innovation. The Imbewu Trust thanks Exclusive Books for their support of the SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition.

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