Glass
By Jacob Kay

‘It’s like I’ve been swimming right. Swimming for my entire life up until now. I know I can’t swim but that isn’t the point. So I’ve been swimming, free to surface above and dive below whenever I wanted. But now… Now suddenly, the top has frozen over. Without warning and… And I can’t surface.’

If we travel from water (H2O) to silicon dioxide (SIO2), then Glass is the journey in between. Set in a futuristic dystopia where water has become a precious commodity, Glass deals with repression, responsibility and the fear of the unknown, as the people at its centre struggle to cope as their world, and also the very text itself, cracks and shatters around them.

Originally from Derby, Jacob studied Drama at the University of Lincoln. The experience expanded his horizons, giving him confidence in his writing ability and introducing him to writing for theatre, and he went on to complete an MA in Drama (Playwriting) in 2018. During this time, he was involved in numerous projects in theatre and film as a writer, actor and director, with many of his theatre works being performed at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre. Since graduating, he has continued to develop his craft. He was invited to a writers retreat organised and hosted by BBC Wales, co-writing a screenplay that was shortlisted for their It’s My Shout competition. As an independent filmmaker, he has multiple projects in development, and his short play Cattle was recently produced by The Blue Room (Lincoln).

Glass is his first full length play. He is therefore eligible for the Original New Voice Award as well as a Judges Award and the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2019.