On Friday, September 19, the winners of the 2025 Children’s and Youth Playwriting Competition were announced at the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre. The competition, organized jointly by the Estonian Theatre Agency and the Estonian Children’s Literature Centre, took place for the fourth time.
A total of 55 anonymous manuscripts were submitted to the competition. They were reviewed by a five-member jury: Marek Demjanov (Piip and Tuut Theatre), Karl Koppelmaa (VAT Theatre), Marika Palm (Ugala Theatre), Mirko Rajas (Estonian Youth Theatre), and Katrin Tõnisson (Estonian Children’s Literature Centre).
Jury chair Marek Demjanov described the entries as highly diverse:
“Among the submissions we found relationship and situational dramas, stories of love and falling in love, quests for self-discovery, friendship, betrayal, misunderstandings, generational conflicts, bullying, thrillers, absurd comedies, farces, environmental themes, issues related to assisted death and mental health, fairy-tale elements, and even revolution.”
The jury recognized seven plays :
First Prize (€3600): Oliver Issak – Omadega soos (Stuck in the Marsh)
Second Prize (€3000): Mari Rostfeldt – Hõbepaju (The Silver Willow)
Third Prize (€3000): Oliver Issak – täna õhtul (tonight)
Special Mentions:
- Kristiina Kase – Maailma ilusaim koht (The Most Beautiful Place in the World)
- Eva Kreem – Väikeste poiste pesad (The Nests of Little Boys)
- Kadri Lepp – Ruudi
- Reeli Reinaus – Tamagotchi
The first-prize-winning play Omadega soos by Oliver Issak places young conscripts and their armoured vehicle on a swamp island, raising pressing questions that all of us encounter in life – as individuals, parents, partners, or friends. Mari Rostfeldt’s second-place play Hõbepaju is a dynamic and multilayered story of youthful closeness, intertwining poetic and social dimensions held together by well-drawn characters and atmosphere. Oliver Issak’s second play täna õhtul, which won third prize, is written as a rallying speech addressed to those who come after the flood – young people under 20 sitting in the audience, ready to change the world.
The jury also highlighted four other plays. Kadri Lepp’s Ruudi, written for younger audiences, features cool, profound, and unique animal characters searching for answers to big personal questions about freedom and captivity. Kristiina Kase’s touching Maailma ilusaim koht tells of two different worlds seen through the eyes of children caught in the path of war, as they seek both their place and a missing clock. Reeli Reinaus’s Tamagotchi is full of suspense, mystery, and tension, centering on twins who have experienced trauma and live surrounded by walls of guilt. Eva Kreem’s Väikeste poiste pesad, whose title references a line by poet Juhan Viiding, grows alongside its sensitive young male protagonist as he distances himself from his childhood friends, who nevertheless remain an inseparable part of him.
All winning plays are available on the Estonian Theatre Agency’s website: https://teater.ee/naitekirjandus/naidendid/
In 2026, the winning plays will also be published as a book in the Estonian Theatre Agency’s series showcasing the latest plays. In addition, all manuscripts submitted to the competition are considered for the playwriting development mentorship program, where selected texts are further developed in collaboration between the author, mentor, and theatre.
The competition is supported by the Endowments for Performing Arts and Literature of the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Additional information:
Heidi Aadma
Dramaturg, Estonian Theatre Agency
heidi@teater.ee
+372 5648 6386
📸 Photo: The authors of the winning plays of the 2025 competition. Top right: Oliver Issak; from the top left corner clockwise: Mari Rostfeldt, Kristiina Kase, Eva Kreem, Kadri Lepp, and Reeli Reinaus.
Photographers: Mattias Veermets, Elise Britta Aidla, Ruudu Rahumaru, Cathleen Kaasan, Martin Mill, and Illimar Ploom.
