The playwrights of these three funny, moving and provocative plays were chosen from 390 entrants to write a contemporary female response to Noel Coward’s Tonight at 8.30.

Jenny Ayres’ Glimpse is inspired by Coward’s Still Life. It is the story of a woman whose history holds too much for her to leave behind. In a world that never stops, are we brave enough to wait? What might we glimpse if we miss the train?

Emma Harding’s The Thing Itself reacts to Coward’s Shadow Play. When the sun fails to come up one morning, Vic and Simone must face the dark. But what emerges from the shadows? Truth or illusion?

Morna Young’s Smite is inspired by Coward’s The Astonished Heart. It is a story of buried answers, blind hearts, and life after loss.­­­­

Jenny Ayres studied at The Central School of Speech and Drama before being invited onto the Royal Court Young Writers Programme in 2005.

Emma Harding is originally from Birmingham and works as a BBC radio drama producer.

Morna Young is a playwright, actress and musician from Scotland. She was the recipient of the 2017 Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship (hosted by Creative Learning, Aberdeen City Council) and the New Playwrights Award 2014 (Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland).