Harry Mould
Harry Mould | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | The Brenda Line |
| Awards | Alfred Fagon Award (2025) |
Harry Mould is a British playwright, writer, artist, wellbeing facilitator and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion consultant based in Edinburgh. They[a] won the 2025 Alfred Fagon Award for their debut play The Brenda Line, which received its world premiere at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 2024 before transferring to the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh. The play received positive critical notices from The Telegraph and The Stage, and Mould was presented with the award by playwright Winsome Pinnock at a ceremony at the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, London.[1][2]
Life and career
[edit]Mould holds a BA in Journalism and Film and is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.[3] They are a queer, mixed-heritage writer and are represented by Peters Fraser & Dunlop.[3]
Mould is Associate Artist with Sanctuary Queer Arts in Glasgow, and sits on the boards of directors of Summerhall Arts and Wonder Fools theatre company.[3] They were part of the implementation team working in response to Edinburgh Council's Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review, and were a member of the working group behind the creation of two Harassment in the Performing Arts guides for freelancers and organisations, rolled out across the performing arts sector in Scotland.[4]
The Brenda Line
[edit]The Brenda Line is Mould's debut play, commissioned by Pitlochry Festival Theatre.[3] It is a two-hander set in a small Scottish town's Samaritans call centre one late evening, following Karen, the youngest new volunteer in the country, and Anne, her elderly shift partner and the evening's resident "Brenda". The play draws on the real history of the Samaritans' "Brenda Line" — a service run between 1972 and 1987 by female volunteers trained to respond to obscene phone calls — and was loosely inspired by Mould's mother's experience volunteering with the Samaritans in North Wales.[5]
The world premiere ran at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 15 August to 18 September 2024, directed by Associate Director Ben Occhipinti, with Fiona Bruce as Anne and Charlotte Grayson as Karen.[5] The production then transferred to Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, from 13 to 16 November 2024.[6]
The play received positive reviews. Writing in The Telegraph, critic Mark Brown praised the performances of the two leads and described the script as humorous and the production design as evoking its late 1970s setting effectively.[6] The Stage described it as a warm and thoughtful two-hander about judgement and human connection.[7] The Week described it as a confident and adventurous debut.[6]
In December 2025, The Brenda Line won the Alfred Fagon Award, the leading prize for Black British playwrights. The award was presented at the Dorfman Theatre, National Theatre, London, and Mould was presented with the £6,000 prize by playwright Winsome Pinnock. Mould dedicated the award to their grandmother, who was born not far from Alfred Fagon in Jamaica.[8][1][2]
Other works
[edit]Alongside her theatre career, Mould has worked across television and fiction. Their debut television script, The Houdini Detectives, was a finalist for the Studio 21 Drama Series Prize and has since been optioned for television.[3] Their debut novel was shortlisted for the #Merky Books New Writers Prize, an initiative created by Stormzy in partnership with Penguin Random House.[4]
Awards and recognition
[edit]| Year | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alfred Fagon Award | The Brenda Line | Won |
| 2024 | Studio 21 Drama Series Prize | The Houdini Detectives | Finalist |
| TBC | #Merky Books New Writers Prize | Debut novel | Shortlisted |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "2025 Award". Alfred Fagon Award. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Harry Mould wins 2025 Alfred Fagon Award". The Stage. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Harry Mould". Peters Fraser & Dunlop. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 "The Brenda Line – Cast Press Release". Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 "The Brenda Line – Cast Announcement". Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 "The Brenda Line: a 'confident and adventurous' debut from Harry Mould". The Week. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "The Brenda Line review at Pitlochry Festival Theatre". The Stage. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
- ↑ "UK play lands award named for J'can boxing champ, poet". Jamaica Gleaner. 20 December 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2026.