BBC Comedy Commissioning and the Mental Health Foundation are delighted to announce the recipient of the inaugural Galton & Simpson Bursary for Comedy Writing is Grace Mulvey. 

The bursary is a collaboration between the BBC and the Mental Health Foundation and is named after Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, one of the best loved and most enduring writing partnerships in comedy history.

Grace is a stand-up comedian and Improviser, who started her comedy career performing at Mob Theatre in her native Dublin as part of the improv team Mr Me Cocos and is also a writer and actor in sketch comedy double act Curved Comedy. Grace was a finalist in the Vodafone Irish Comedian of the Year 2017 and was the headline act for the opening night of Ireland’s biggest festival, Electric Picnic before being included in Funny Women’s Ones to Watch 2019. 

Grace Mulvey says: ”I am absolutely floored & beyond delighted to have won this bursary. Galton & Simpson epitomised the idea that comedy can be found in the toughest of times & we need comedy now more than ever. My dream of being a comedy writer now feels real.”

Shane Allen, Controller Comedy Commissioning at the BBC says: “Grace has achieved that winning combo of writing a raucously funny script first and foremost as well as shining a fresh light on areas and themes in life comedy hasn’t delved in to before. She’s a tremendously exciting new voice and a deserving recipient of the inaugural bursary in the name of two of comedy’s founding fathers.”

Established in April 2020, the Galton & Simpson Bursary awards £5500 to writers or writing partnerships to develop a script for broadcast consideration along with guidance and career support from established industry professionals and the BBC Comedy Commissioning team. 

Over 2500 scripts were submitted for consideration with six entrants making a final shortlist. They were: 

• Annabel Brightling
• Tess Carruthers
• Gareth Cunliffe & Chris Hannon
• Kevin Curtis
• Grace Mulvey
• Jon Stapley & Aaron Simmonds

Details regarding the next bursary scheme will be announced in due course.