Posted on January 5th, 2026
We’re thrilled that HighTide alumnus Martha Loader has won the prestigious George Devine Award for her play, The Town. Alongside the Mercury Theatre and the New Wolsey Theatre, HighTide produced her extraordinary play, Bindweed, in 2024.
The George Devine Award is one of the most prestigious new writing awards, and was set up in 1966 as a memorial to the life and talent of George Devine, a Director and Actor who launched a Writers’ movement that revolutionised theatre.
Tanika Gupta, who was part of the selection panel said ‘Martha’s play The Town is a finely crafted work that draws the audience inexorably into its world. At its heart lies a young boy’s historic act of random violence, around which the play asks profound questions about the nature of good and evil. With a haunting, lyrical voice, Martha interrogates the fragile bonds of family and community and exposes how swiftly we turn to blame. The result is a piece that is both unsettling and deeply resonant, lingering long after the final moment.’
Martha said, ‘I’m thrilled to have won the George Devine Award. I’m so grateful to all of the people, theatres and companies who have supported me and my writing over the past few years. There are countless people who have opened doors for me, or taken a chance on my work, and without that encouragement and generosity this would never have happened.’
Everyone at HighTide is a huge fan of Martha’s and her writing, so we send tons of congratulations her way.
