A COLLABORATION between Melda Lois Griffiths and Mirain Alaw Jones has won the Playwright’s Medal at this year’s National Eisteddfod, with their drama Cwch Gwenyn praised for its humour, realism and exploration of contemporary womanhood.

The award was presented during a ceremony on the Pavilion stage on Wednesday, August 6. Melda Lois Griffiths was raised in the Llanuwchllyn area and attended Ysgol O M Edwards and Ysgol y Berwyn before moving on to Cardiff University. She now lives in Cardiff and works in public health, while also pursuing her interests in music and creative writing.

Her co-writer, Mirain Alaw Jones, is originally from Capel Seion in the Gwendraeth Valley and also lives in Cardiff. The pair have been close friends since meeting through the Welsh Society at Cardiff University.

This year’s competition invited either a detailed play proposal of up to 2,500 words or a complete drama lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. A consortium of Welsh theatre companies and producers has partnered with the Eisteddfod to support the winner, including Frân Wen, Theatr Bara Caws, Theatr Clwyd, Theatr Cymru, Sherman Theatre, Theatr y Torch and Arad Goch. Freelance theatre practitioners Leo Drayton and Nia Morais were also part of the judging panel.

The Playwright’s Medal is awarded in memory of Eiryth and Urien Wiliam by their children, Hywel, Sioned and Steffan Wiliam. This year’s £3,000 prize was donated by Cware ac Olew Trefigin.

The winning entry was submitted under the pen name Ymlaen, the motto of Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd, where both writers play for the women’s team. They describe the play as a tribute to their friendship and to the club.

In their adjudication, the judges described Cwch Gwenyn as “a humorous, realistic and meaningful drama” dealing with the challenges faced by women in modern Wales. They praised its natural dialogue, believable characters and efforts to reflect a wide range of backgrounds, ages, sexualities and life experiences.

The judges highlighted the strength of the play’s structure and the development of key characters, while also noting the effective use of physical theatre on a rugby field to contrast the excitement of sport with personal tensions. They said the script offered strong theatrical possibilities and demonstrated significant research, experience and creative potential.

Although some judges noted similarities to the television drama Amdani, they concluded that Cwch Gwenyn showed the strongest potential of all entries.

Griffiths holds a doctorate in Psychology and works within a Behavioural Science Unit. She has spoken of the influence of her grandmother, Melda Griffiths, whose encouragement and love of the arts shaped her upbringing.

Jones graduated from Cardiff University’s School of Welsh and works as a script editor on Pobol y Cwm, a role she says has helped develop her storytelling skills.

As well as the prize money, the winning writers will receive a package of professional development opportunities, including mentorship, networking, theatre placements, career guidance and support to develop the script further for production.