Deaf student playwright from Southend wins National Theater Prize

Image source, Mike Liggins /BBC< /figure>

A deaf student playwright saw her play performed at the National Theater after winning a national competition.

Eloise Pennycott, a 17-year-old pupil from Southend Girls' High School, beat out over 400 entrants from around 100 schools to win the prize.

Her play Barrier(s) tells the story of two women who fall in love, one of whom uses sign language.

Ms. Pennycott said after seeing the depictions, "I still can't believe it to be honest."

The play won New Views, the National Theatre's national playwriting program. and competition for 14-19 year olds.

It was performed at the Dorfman Theater National Theater in a full production with professional actors earlier this month .

In addition to the communication barriers faced by the two women in the piece, the work also explores the hostility faced by those who use the language signs.

Ms Pennycott said: "I became deaf at 11 and at 13 I became profoundly deaf.

"Thank God, I did it because it was the best thing that ever happened to me.