Hong Kong-born, multidisciplinary artist Roshelle Fong, who is based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia won the 2022 International Award Prize for Playwriting

Chosen from a shortlist of five plays submitted via partners in Australia, Canada and the US, The Red Lead 红铅 is a portrait of sisterhood, survival and an attempt to rise up in 1542 Ming Dynasty China.

The judges said: “At once epic and intimate, this entertaining play immerses us in 16th century China palace intrigue. Bold and surprising in its visual imagery and with a sharp, contemporary voice the story slices through layers of sexual politics and class, upending preconceived notions on a massive scale without ever losing sight of the young women at the centre, their humanity and bravery in the face of systemic oppression, and the hope that comes through collective action.”

As part of Roshelle’s development as a Prize winner- she travelled to the Banff Centre Playwrights Lab 2023. The Banff Playwrights Lab was created by playwrights Tom Hendry and George Ryga in the early 1970s. Celebrating its 50th season in 2023, the Lab has sustained its founding principles of focusing on playwrights and developing new works away from the pressures of a producing theatre.

Each year the Lab welcomes playwrights and their collaborators, providing each writer with a residency tailored to their specific needs with the goal of nurturing, challenging, and inspiring the next phase of their work.

https://www.banffcentre.ca/performing-arts/banff-playwrights-lab