'KILLING TIME' by ste mc was the winner
Congratulations to Ste Mc from Liverpool: the winner of the Derek Jacobi Playwriting Award for 2026
Ste’s one-act play – Killing Time, which was submitted as a result of winning the Best Play award at the Leverhulme Festival this year – tells the story of the final 48 hours of a prisoner on Death Row.
The play focuses on the long-term relationship between a hardened criminal and a sensitive professional, and asks the question … who been responsible for more deaths – a man on Death Row who had killed 45 people or the kindly doctor who has killed as many prisoners by legal injection?
'Sinewy, powerful and at times, deeply moving' said the judging panel
When asked about the inspiration for ‘Killing Time’ Ste told us “I took my ever-supportive partner, to a talk entitled Conversations with Serial Killers.
Although the subject matter didn’t initially appeal to me, writers are often sparked by the most unlikely details.
During the talk, the speaker mentioned a term, “48,” which I’d never heard before. Instinctively, I scribbled notes on my hand, and that very night, I drafted the first version of the play—about fifteen minutes long—with “48” forming its foundation.”
What happened next?
‘Killing Time’ was the focus of a one hour Studio Spotlight session at the 2026 National Drama Festival in Bromsgrove where Ste explained his journey to a fascinated audience. Well done Ste Mc!
Congratulations aswell to the Runner Up, Very Highly Commended and Highly Commended entries below.
Runner Up
‘Theodora’ by Gemma Varnom
entered into
MANX Festival of One-Act Plays 2026
Very Highly Commended
‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ by Caroline Ross Tajasque
entered into
Henley Drama Festival 2026
Very Highly Commended
A Thousand Invisible Choices by Keith Mackenzie
entered into
Northern Division of the SCDA
Highly Commended
Reboot by Emms Roskilly
entered into
Welwyn Youth Festival
The 2026/27 competition is now open. Read about it below and enter your script.