A BUDDING young playwright has penned a play about aquatic activity which has been shortlisted for a performance at the National Theatre.

Mary Butler, 17, attends Sherborne Girls' School and her play, Fish, was chosen from more than 300 entries to the National Theatre’s annual playwriting competition for 15 to 19-year-olds, New Views.

The play will now be entered into the final stage of the competition, where the winning play is chosen to be staged in full at the National Theatre.

New Views encourages young people to write plays about issues which are important to them, exploring key contemporary questions and dilemmas.

Entries came from sixty-six schools and colleges in the UK, as well as partner theatre programmes at the Bristol Old Vic and West Yorkshire Playhouse. Students in the programme follow an online playwriting course written by Jemma Kennedy, with additional contributions from celebrated playwrights including Simon Stephens, Alecky Blythe and James Graham, and are mentored in school by a team of 17 professional writers.

The New Views judging panel includes NT Deputy Artistic Director Ben Power; NT Senior Dramaturg Nina Steiger; playwright Suhayla El-Bushra and actor, director and campaigner Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Alice King-Farlow, director of learning at the NT, said: “It is fantastic to see the New Views programme continue to thrive in schools and colleges.

"This year more than 300 students from 66 schools and colleges across the UK, as well as partner writing groups at the Bristol Old Vic and West Yorkshire Playhouse, entered the competition.

"We encourage the young writers to write about what excites or angers them and the plays clearly demonstrate a genuine engagement with contemporary questions and dilemmas. We have been hugely impressed by the scope and quality of the writing, and look forward to welcoming the shortlisted and winning writers to the National Theatre in July.”

New Views is supported by The Chapman Charitable Trust, The Golsoncott Foundation and Old Possum’s Practical Trust.