New Writing Sets Sail: Shortlisted Playwrights Celebrated as Theatre@Sea Heads to Dundee
Two playwrights from across the UK are preparing to see their work brought to life in a most unexpected setting — aboard a cruise ship, as it docks near Dundee this summer as part of the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025.
Huw Turnbull and Claudia Fielding are among the twelve writers shortlisted for this groundbreaking competition, launched by Ambassador Cruise Line in partnership with PEEL Entertainment Group. Designed to champion original voices and bold storytelling, the challenge offers a rare opportunity for new plays to be professionally performed onboard Ambassador’s ship Ambition, which is making a regional stop connected to Dundee as part of its summer sailing.
Both Turnbull’s play Venison and Fielding’s Tea Leaves will be performed as part of a special reading event by Theatre@Sea’s resident repertory company — a group of professional actors dedicated to bringing new and classic works to audiences at sea.
Huw Turnbull said: “It's such an honour to have been shortlisted for the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge. The idea that something I have written might be performed on a ship that could be anywhere from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean or Northern Europe is so thrilling. I think that with such a variety of destinations and departure ports across the UK, the potential reach for pieces performed on the ships and the range of audiences is really unique and exciting. I think Ambassador PEEL’s commitment to finding and commissioning new writing for performance on their ships is a wonderful opportunity for theatre makers to have work staged professionally over an extended period of time, which can often be a hard thing to come by.”
Claudia Fielding shared similar excitement about the Challenge’s innovative approach to staging new work: “When I first heard about a competition where my play could potentially be performed on a cruise ship, I was immediately intrigued and excited to submit for such a unique and game-changing competition.”
Their plays are among a diverse and dynamic shortlist that ranges from intimate dramas and comedies to bold reimaginings of classic forms — all written to be under an hour in duration and suitable for performance in the distinct environment of a cruise ship theatre.
The Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 is the first of its kind to take place at sea. One winner will be selected later this year, with the winning play staged as a full production aboard Ambition in 2025. The winner will also receive a £6,000 cash prize and a free cruise for two in 2026.
As the ship makes its way around the UK, including a regional event near Dundee, local audiences will have the opportunity to see professional readings of these shortlisted works — a rare chance to experience brand new theatre in an extraordinary setting.
While Turnbull and Fielding hail from different parts of the UK, their shared excitement and creative spark are set to resonate with audiences far beyond any single port. The sea, it seems, is just the beginning.
Follow the journey via www.theatreatsea.com or @theatre_at_sea on Instagram.