Olga Braga Wins 2025 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for DONBAS

Theatre503 has announced Olga Braga as the winner of the 2025 Theatre503 International Playwriting Award for her powerful and timely new play Donbas. The announcement was made during a special event at the 503Studio at Nine Elms, hosted by Theatre503 Chair James Dacre and Artistic Director Anthony Simpson-Pike.

Braga will receive a prize package including a £6,000 cash award, the world premiere production of Donbas at Theatre503, a production licence, and publication by Samuel French Ltd, a Concord Theatricals Company.

A London-based Ukrainian playwright and screenwriter, Braga’s work explores themes of identity, trauma, and cultural resilience. Her previous accolades include being a finalist for the 2023 Theatre503 Award with her play Return to Sender, a winner of the Off-West-End Adopt a Playwright Award, and a shortlist for prestigious prizes including the Verity Bargate Award and the Phil Fox Award. She is currently on attachment at The National Theatre and under commission for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Donbas is a searing and deeply human story set in a war-torn Ukrainian town. After serving time, Sasha returns home to his father Seryoga and new girlfriend Marianca, as the community—also seen through the lives of soldiers Dmitry and Alexei—navigates the trauma of frozen conflict and the rise of extremism. The play offers a potent portrait of survival, resistance, and hope in the shadow of war.

Theatre503’s International Playwriting Award received 1,377 submissions from writers in 49 countries, making this one of the most competitive cycles in the award’s history. The judging panel included playwright Waleed Akhtar, dramaturg Jack Bradley, director and board member Tian Brown-Sampson, playwright Chris Bush, Tamasha Artistic Director Pooja Ghai, and dramaturg/producer Pippa Hill.

Finalists:

• Annice, A Slave by Joslyn Housley (Evanston, USA)

• Dead Skin by Marie Amélie Giron (Paris, France)

• Dog Dog Dog by Terri Jade Donovan (Stockport, UK)

• Final Boarding Call by Stefani Kuo (New York, USA)