Awarded in honour of Galton & Simpson to develop a new script

Irish comedian Grace Mulvey has won the BBC’s first £5,500 Galton & Simpson bursary for comedy writing.

The money will allow her to develop a script for potential broadcast, with guidance and career support from established industry professionals.

She said: ‘I am absolutely floored and beyond delighted to have won this bursary. Galton & Simpson epitomised the idea that comedy can be found in the toughest of times & we need comedy now more than ever. My dream of being a comedy writer now feels real.’

Mulvey started her comedy career performing at Mob Theatre in her native Dublin as part of the improv team Mr Me Cocos and is also a writer and actor in sketch comedy double act Curved Comedy. As a stand-up she was also a finalist in the Vodafone Irish Comedian of the Year 2017.

The bursary is a collaboration between the BBC’s comedy commissioning  team and is named after the writing partnership behind Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son.

Shane Allen, the BBC’s controller of comedy commissioning said: ‘Grace has achieved that winning combo of writing a raucously funny script first and foremost as well as shining a fresh light on areas and themes in life comedy hasn’t delved in to before. 

‘She’s a tremendously exciting new voice and a deserving recipient of the inaugural bursary in the name of two of comedy’s founding fathers.’

More than 2,500 scripts were submitted for consideration with six entrants making a final shortlist. 

The other five scrips were by Annabel Brightling, Tess Carruthers, Gareth Cunliffe & Chris Hannon, Kevin Curtis and Jon Stapley & Aaron Simmonds.

Published: 27 Nov 2020