First Gravedigger

A young greengrocer is appointed as nuclear deputy in a seemingly rogue move by the Prime Minister. On the brink of nuclear war, an almost unthinkable power has been thrust into her hands and she must make an impossible decision.

FIRST GRAVEDIGGER is a political pressure-cooker developed as a Paines Plough Mentored Writer, with dramaturgical support from Chris White, Charlotte Bennett and Debo Adebayo.

An extract from the play will be showcased at Paines Plough’s Tour the Writer Festival at the Belgrade Theatre in March 2026.

The play also made the Longlist for the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2025, and will undergo further development on their Future Light programme in 2026.