2021 Winner

Staged

BBC, Infinity Hill, GCB Films

UK

- Short Fiction Program

It has been said, not by the producers, that in years to come STAGED will be seen as one of the defining cultural legacies of the lockdown of 2020. The simple premise of attempting to rehearse a delayed West End play online during lockdown opened up so many creative opportunities and confusions. This wickedly clever script together with the consummate skill of the actors made the audience feel that they’re eavesdropping on affectionate bickering between chums. Using the simplest of means available to the cast and their guests in their own homes, laptops and smartphones, STAGED delivered something of a technological marvel. It prompted some amusingly positive shocks to the audience, as untrailed A listers in succession. Social media went crazy at Samuel L. Jackson’s surprise contribution only eclipsed by the arrival of a potty-mouthed Dame Judi Dench. STAGED is perhaps proof that good writing and a fantastic cast are all you need together with tons of courage and chutzpah.