With grateful thanks to The Eggardon Trust
Team
Who we are
Ellie Keel studied Modern Languages at Oxford University and developed a successful career as an independent theatre producer before founding the Women’s Prize for Playwriting in 2019. She launched the prize with Founding Partner, Paines Plough, after her work as a producer and a litany of unacceptable statistics made it clear that plays by women writers were severely underrepresented on national stages in the UK and Ireland.
As Founder Director, Ellie leads on all aspects of strategy, communications and fundraising for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations and administration of the Prize. She works closely with Charlotte Bennett and Katie Posner, as well as the wider Paines Plough team, to deliver the Prize and ensure it serves writers in the best possible way. With Paines Plough, Ellie is also responsible for programming and producing plays which win the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, and for championing the plays which reach the longlist, shortlist and finalist stages.
As well as running the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, Ellie is an award-winning theatre and audio producer with her company EKP, which specialises in creating fearlessly imaginative, thrilling and memorable new plays by early- and mid-career female playwrights. Ellie is also a writer and her first novel The Four was published by HarperCollins in April 2024, becoming an instant Sunday Times bestseller. She lives in East London with her fiancée and two badly-behaved cats.
Charlie Coulthard has worked extensively with writers and creatives in the publishing and theatre industries since graduating from University of St Andrews. Most recently at Concord Theatricals as the Senior Manager of Acquisitions & Artistic Development, where she worked with playwrights, agents, composers and lyricists to acquire licensing rights and develop new work for the stage. She first became involved with the Women’s Prize for Playwriting as the Publishing Partner through Concord Theatricals and having watched it become an integral part of the industry, she is delighted to be working directly for the prize five years since its inception.
Outside of work, she loves reading, theatre, making clothes and lives in Ely with her family.
Natasha Ketel is a theatre producer from London. Since graduating from Durham University with a first-class degree in English Literature, she has worked in film and TV development, theatre fundraising and theatre marketing. Alongside her work for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting, she is the Marketing Manager at Jermyn Street Theatre and a producer at Ellie Keel Productions. She lives in East London and loves going to the cinema and the theatre as well as reading and writing.
Partners
Founding Partner
Paines Plough
Paines Plough is the UK’s national theatre of new plays. The company commissions and produces the best playwrights and tours their plays far and wide. Whether you’re in Liverpool or Lyme Regis, Scarborough or Southampton, a Paines Plough show is coming to a theatre near you soon.
Paines Plough was formed in 1974 over a pint of Paines bitter in the Plough pub. Since then they’ve produced more than 150 new productions by world-renowned playwrights like Stephen Jeffreys, Abi Morgan, Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, Dennis Kelly, Mike Bartlett, Kae Tempest and Vinay Patel.
Founding Partner
Ellie Keel Productions
Founded in May 2019, Ellie Keel Productions (EKP) specialises in commissioning, developing, and producing new plays of the highest quality. Their award-winning work is presented in London, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and across the UK and internationally. EKP work with top-flight writers, directors and creative teams to make shows that audiences enjoy and remember.
Partner
London Library
Founded in 1841, The London Library is one of the world’s leading literary institutions, with a collection containing over one million books and periodicals, and seventeen miles of open access shelves for members to browse.
Its Emerging Writers Programme supports writers of all disciplines at the very start of their careers, offering writing development masterclasses, literary networking opportunities, peer support and a year’s free membership of the Library.
Sponsors
The Women’s Prize for Playwriting
is extremely grateful for the
generous support of our sponsors:
