Amstel Playwright of the Year

An annual competition for new theatre scripts instituted in 1977/8?* at the behest and under the management of Nicholas Ellenbogen. First awarded to John Pank for Windmills of the Mind and James Ambrose Brown for  Time and the Wood in 1978, with Zakes Mda receiving a Merit Award for We Shall Sing for the Fatherland. In 1979 it was won by Zakes Mda for The Hill. Other winners have been Shirley Johnston?*, Paul Slabolepszy for Saturday Night at the Palace (1981), Charles Fourie, Geraldine Aron (Commended for Brenda, 1983), John Hunt for Vid Alex.

In 1979 year they introduced a children’s play section as well, and it was first won by Pieter Scholtz (1979 for The Amazing Adventures of Tambootie the Puppet and in 1980 for Mister Big Strikes Again ).

(See also Awards, Competitions, Honours, Prizes)

[JH, FdV]

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