E-news
January
The National Play Festival is almost upon us so we’ve got a Festival-themed newsletter to ignite your imagination this month. From Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia we’ve assembled an amazing 21-strong cast of actors and you can find out who they all are here. If you’re planning to join us at the Festival, don’t miss out on Face Time, your chance to pitch your projects to a panel of industry-leading producers, agents and funders. And thanks to our friends at the Judith Wright Centre, La Boite and Brisbane Powerhouse we’ve got some great offers to make February a feast of theatre in Brisbane. Congratulations to the winners of our recent survey and thanks to everyone who responded and gave us a great insight into how we see ourselves positioned on the cultural map. Finally, don’t forget to submit your work for development opportunities in the first half of this year – the State Exchange, Creative Development Studio and National Script Workshop programmes are all currently accepting applications. Yours might be the next play to join the likes of Trolley Boys, Grace and Furious Mattress which are all opening on stages around the country in February.
As always, details of everything we're up to and all the opportunities for you to get involved can be found on our website at www.pwa.org.au. If you have any difficulty downloading any of the information or need any additional details, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@pwa.org.au.
In addition to an amazing team of playwrights, directors and dramaturgs, we’re very pleased to announce our stellar National Play Festival cast, gathered from across the country, for the Showcase and Play for Breakfast seasons.
Joining us to take on 8 brand new plays in 2 weeks for the Showcase season are: Jada Alberts, Chris Betts, Peta Brady, Bille Brown, Nick Brown, Georgina Capper, Kaeng Chan, Sandro Colarelli, Catherine Davies, Michelle Fornasier, Ron Haddrick, Kevin Hides, Aimee Horne, Jodie Le Vesconte, Bryan Probets and Steven Rooke.
And working with director Michael Futcher on a further 7 plays in the Play for Breakfast series are: Paul Bishop, Tim Dashwood, Sue Dwyer, Sophie Mathisen and Anthony Standish.
Face Time: Professional Pitching
There are still places available for writers and producers to pitch your projects to theatre companies, producers, agents and funders at our Face Time pitching session at the National Play Festival. Face Time is all about getting valuable time in front of key decision makers to work out the what, how, who and where of getting your projects off the page and onto stage. There’s no limit on what you can pitch – it could be a new work, an existing work, a collaboration, or you might be interested in more general advice, networking, getting a foot in the door or simply perfecting how you sell your winning ideas.
The panel is still to be announced, but will include local and interstate representatives from the worlds of professional theatre, artists’ agents and funding. You will have the chance to pitch your project, plan or ambition to each panellist in turn. The session will be followed by an open forum: Saving Face – What Works in Pitching where the panel will give feedback on some of the dos and don’ts of effective networking.
More information
Selection for Face Time: Professional Pitching is by application only and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Find out more and download full details of the application process online here.
Winners: national attitudes to culture survey
Thank you to everyone who completed our recent survey on national attitudes to culture. The results were illuminating, with some clear messages about which cities we see as our cultural leaders, and plenty of thought-provoking feedback on how we value the culture in our own back yards and across state lines. This research will be invaluable in assisting with how we plan our programmes in the future.
Congratulations to Jeremy Johnson of New South Wales who is the lucky winner of the grand prize of a return trip to Brisbane to join us as our special guest at the National Play Festival. Jeremy was selected randomly from among all of the respondents to the survey, along with 30 other lucky winners who each receive a complimentary Festival Pass to join us at every performance in the Showcase season and as our guests at the Opening Night Party. The full list of winners is available here.
Special offers: the best of Brisbane
Our friends in Brisbane want to celebrate the return of the National Play Festival to Queensland by offering you some amazing opportunities to see great new theatre during February.
The Flowering giveaway
Presented by Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
Unfolding within a magnificent porcelain set, Donna Cameron’s critically acclaimed solo work is one woman’s riveting account of what happened the year she vanished.
For your chance to win one of two double passes to the opening night of The Flowering on Tue 9 Feb simply email info@pwa.org.au with THE FLOWERING in the subject line by Wed 27 Jan. Winners will be notified by Fri 29 Jan. Only winners will be notified.
The Flowering is at the Judith Wright Centre, Fortitude Valley from 9-13 Feb
Hamlet giveaway
Presented by La Boite Theatre Company
David Berthold directs a contemporary and compelling reinvention of Shakespeare’s finest tragedy in his first production as Artistic Director of La Boite with Toby Schmitz as the Prince of Denmark in his Queensland main stage debut.
For your chance to win a double in-season pass just email info@pwa.org.au with HAMLET in the subject line by Wed 27 Jan. Winners will be notified by email. Only winners will be notified.
Hamlet is at the Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove from 6 Feb – 14 Mar
World Theatre Festival special offer
Presented by Brisbane Powerhouse
Brisbane already has a comedy festival, a queer film festival, various music festivals and even a kids’ festival. Now Brisbane Powerhouse are asking isn’t it about time for a world-class theatre festival? Well, here it is – the inaugural World Theatre Festival (WTF?) with performances and workshops by Daniel Kitson (UK), Brian Lucas (Australia), Pan Pan Theatre (Ireland), Rotozaza (UK), Stuck Pigs Squealing (Australia) and Suitcase Royale (Australia).
Call the Brisbane Powerhouse Box Office and quote “National Play Festival” to purchase your WTF Festival Pass for only $100 (save $20).
The World Theatre Festival is at Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm from 2-13 Feb
Call for entries: opportunities in 2010
Don’t miss out on the current round of opportunities to develop your work in the first half of 2010.
State Exchange Summer session 2010
Closing this week
Supporting artists collaborating across state boundaries to develop new scripts. If you’re a writer in Perth and your dramaturg is in Cairns, or if you live in Hobart and need to do research in Darwin, the State Exchange programme might be able to help you get there. Up to $2,000 is available towards the cost of travel and accommodation.
Applications open Until 22 January
Runs For activity between 1 March – 30 June 2010
More information Download full application details here
Creative Development Studio Summer session 2010
Creative Development Studios are for established writers and offer 2 to 3 days of time to work with a director and dramaturg, and practical rehearsal time with actors, to finetune a finished script suitable for pitching to theatre companies.
Applications open Until 26 February
Runs 4-6 May
More information Download full application details here
National Script Workshop 2010
The National Script Workshop is the engine room of script development and in 2010 we’ll be working in Sydney for the first time to develop more of the most promising new plays from around Australia. The National Script Workshop is open to any writer from anywhere in the country with a new play under development. Scripts can be at treatment stage or early draft.
Applications open Until 5 March
Runs 27 June – 9 July
More information Download full application details here
New productions of works supported by PlayWriting Australia on stages in January and February
Trolley Boys by Alex Cullen
Until 30 Jan
The Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney
Presented by Glass Umbrella in association with Tamarama Rock Surfers
Developed at the National Script Workshop 2008 – Graduate Programme
Four trolley collectors embark on a life-changing journey across a suburban swamp filled with zombies and hepatitis.
Grace by Humphrey Bower adapted from the novel by Robert Drewe
11 Feb – 6 Mar
Deckchair Theatre, Fremantle
Presented by Deckchair Theatre in association with Perth International Arts Festival
Developed with the support of the State Exchange programme 2009
Part thriller, part road movie, part film-noir, this is an epic tale that travels from inner-city Sydney to the Great Sandy Desert.
Furious Mattress by Melissa Reeves
19 Feb – 13 Mar
Beckett Theatre, CUB Malthouse, Melbourne
Presented by Malthouse Theatre
Developed at the National Script Workshop 2009
Inspired by a true, if incredible, story from our own recent past, Furious Mattress uncovers just how terrible can be the things done in the name of good.
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PlayWriting Australia
