Script selection process
PlayWriting Australia supports all genres and styles of new writing in its programmes, with the exception of music theatre or musicals. Our goals are the support of outstanding new play scripts, an ethnically diverse industry and sustainable income generation for theatre professionals. All applications are assessed by a combination of PlayWriting Australia staff and industry specialists/peers as required.
Our script assessment process for major programmes comprises two stages and can take up to three months to complete.
Phase One
Each script is read ‘blind’ – that is, the script, with no attribution, is read by a professional theatre worker and information about the playwright remains undisclosed to the assessor. (Should the play be known to the reader, the script must be returned to PlayWriting Australia and it is then assigned to another reader.)
Assessment criteria:
- originality
- characterisation
- narrative
- exposition
- form
- quality of language
- quality of dialogue
- theatricality
- engagement with the social and political context
- gaps, if any between form and content
- ambition and execution
- gut response
Each assessment contains a brief synopsis and discursive responses to the script’s strengths and weaknesses.
Each script is scored out of 50 (10 each for character, plot, dialogue, theme and theatricality). The plays are also ranked from most recommended to least. The score and ranking may disagree with one another but are used in combination to give a picture of the relative merits of each script. The final arbiter here is a recommendation to move to the next level and from this stage a long shortlist is compiled for consideration in the second stage.
Phase Two
Senior readers assess the long shortlist and undertake more detailed discursive reports and then meet with the Artistic Director to flesh out discussion of the finest plays in the long shortlist.
Senior readers are aware of the identity of the playwright and it is at this point that support material becomes crucial: development notes; letters of support; CVs; and the make-up of the creative team .
The Artistic Director may discuss the script and the specific development opportunity on offer with the applicant as the final selections are made.
All applicants are advised in writing of the outcome of their application at the conclusion of the process. Due to the nature of the selection process and the high volume of works under consideration, it is not possible for PlayWriting Australia to comment on the status of individual applications until the process is completed.
PlayWriting Australia readers include: Brett Adam, Hilary Bell, Melanie Beddie, Rebecca Clarke, Campion Decent, Graham Downey, Kevin Densley, Naomi Edwards, Katrina Foster, Louise Fox, Kate Gaul, Mary-Anne Gifford, Veronica Gleeson, Adam Grossetti, Mark Haslam, Tom Healey, Michael Hill, Rita Kalnejais, Leland Kean, Lee Lewis, Don Mackay, Peter Matheson, Belinda McClory, Damien Millar, Suzie Miller, Kate Mulvany, Laurisa Poulos, Polly Rowe, Daniel Schlusser, Hallie Shellam, Kyas Sherriff, Sam Strong, Iain Sinclair, Fran Smith, Kylie Trounson, Josh Tyler, Alana Valentine, Matt Whittet, Rochelle Whyte, Ian Wilding.
