Bruntwood Prize: Playwrights at work

Their work is performed very publicly, but the world of the playwright is usually a private one. A new photographic exhibition will give a rare glimpse of British playwrights in the places where they work and find inspiration.

The portraits include Sir Tom Stoppard, Sir David Hare, Johnny Vegas, Simon Stephens and Meera Syal (seen above).

The pictures, by Simon Annand, were commissioned to mark the 10th anniversary of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting.

The 2015 competition opens for entries on 30 January. Writers of all levels of experience are invited to enter plays, which must be original, unperformed and unproduced.

The winner will receive a prize of £16,000 and a full production of their play at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.

The 2013 Bruntwood Prize was won by Anna Jordan's play Yen, which will receive its world premiere at the Royal Exchange from 18 February 2015.

Also premiering at the Royal Exchange later this year will be The Rolling Stone by Chris Urch, which was a winner of a judges' award in 2013.

Sarah Frankcom, Bruntwood Prize judge, and artistic director of the Royal Exchange, said: "I really want to discover a play or a writer that is such a game changer it will redefine what a play can be and how it can connect with audiences.

"We're excited about producing two Bruntwood winners at the Royal Exchange this year. I can't wait to see what we find this year."

The judging panel for this year's prize will be chaired by Sir Nicholas Hytner, the outgoing artistic director of the National Theatre.

The exhibition runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, from 25 April.