Ambassador Cruises has announced that, after winning the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 last December, “Venison” by Huw Turnbull made its debut onboard the Ambition during its two-week “Delights of Western France & Spain Explorer” sailing in May 2026.
The company said in a statement that the Ambassador PEEL Playwriting Challenge 2025 is an annual initiative created to recognize and showcase gifted playwrights, offering a unique platform for budding talent to make waves in the world of theater.
Playwrights across the UK had the opportunity to submit their work, with the winning play to be staged onboard an Ambassador ship.
The winner also received a cash prize of £6,000 and a free cruise for two in 2026. The award is the first of its kind to take place on a cruise ship.
Produced as part of the Theatre@Sea program, which is performed on Ambassador’s Ambience, Renaissance and Ambition, “Venison” is a black comedy farce that tells the story of Dan, Bill and Max arriving at a dinner party, expecting to see their friend Jane.
Instead, they are met with her strange boyfriend Jerry and the promise of Venison on the menu.
As the temperature rises in the kitchen, the painfully awkward dinner party soon turns into a gripping murder mystery that questions the ethics of our modern-day obsession with true crime as entertainment.
