MEDIA RELEASE
Short+Sweet Theatre Week 8 Feb 26-Mar 3
Sydney’s huge Short+Sweet Theatre festival reaches the 3/4 stage next week with the 8th weekly
helping of delicious short theatre bites.
And many of the finalists have already been locked in for the Gala Awards Final at the Seymour Centre York
Theatre on Friday 21 March at 7pm. And the first ever Short+Sweet Variety Gala follows on Saturday 22
March at the same venue – showcasing the best 4 plays, 4 dance and 4 cabaret pieces from the combined
recent festivals. More at www.shortandsweet.org
The weekly festival of 10-minute plays continues through to 3 March at the King Street Theatre, Newtown.
The main program changes weekly and plays Wed - Sat 7.30pm plus Sun 5.15. Weekly Wildcards
performances are Sat 2:30pm, Sun 1pm and Mon at 7:30pm. The Wildcards Finals and People’s Choice
Showcase week follow the week of 6 to 9 March at King Street Theatre.
The final week of heats features The Quest by Jayshree Venkatesan where a half-Jewish half-Indian investment
banker’s seeks true love while carrying double cultural baggage. Indian theatre company CreaShakthi comes to
Australia to present the play that scooped the pool of wards at Short+Sweet Chennai last year. Vaidhya M. Sundar
directs Murali. K Satagopan.
Late for School by Iain Craig Moss is directed by Lisa Eismen and stars Patricia Rowling about a young teacher
being interrogated over a crime she doesn’t realize she’s committed: she’s late for school. Wrong Decision? written
and directed by Felix Carlisle is set in WW1 France - in a bomb crater in no-mans-land. A dying Canadian soldier
is surprised by a young German and then an Australian Sergeant. What happens next may change the world.
Irish Stew by Carry Pepper (US) is a beautiful story of an old couple beginning to lose their facility with language.
Short-term memory ain’t what it used to be but what would they do without each other? Irish characters (played
by Owain James and Ann Elbourne) with an Indian director (Aishveryaa Nidhi), tackling Dementia.
NB 70-year-old Owain travels from Mudgee to Rockdale and Newtown for rehearsals and performances!
Charity Case is Ruth Fingret’s self-directed piece about a cantankerous homeless bird-lady and a well-meaning
stranger who discover a common humanity. Christine Greenough and Sandra Campbell star.
In Like Peas in a Pod by Pheona Mulligan, Bill and Ben come from two different worlds. But when you live on the
street you sometimes have more in common than you realize. Erin Gordan directs Bill Jordan and Jaymie Knight.
In the Wildcards, and also coming all the way to Sydney to make their international debut is a Malaysian company
with Good Girls by Haris Hazizan. Directed by Dr Shark (a lecturer in civil engineering!) the writer stars alongside
Hajar and Syuhada in a play that won a slew of awards in Short+Sweet Malaysia 2013. “Lisa is a good girl. She
always listens to her parents. But how long can she keep up the Good Girl act before she snaps?”
The Sunburnt Country by Camilla Maxwell sees two Newcastle girls put their friendship
to the test when they go holidaying together and encounter sun, boys and body shots…
Jovana Miletic directs Charlotte Connor, Charlotte Hazzard and Tim Nathan.
The South Afreakins is Robyn Paterson’s hilarious self-directed one-hander – starring
herself – that satirizes South Africans. She plays both husband and wife arguing over
whether to leave the farm and their milk tarts and head for the greener grass of
Australia. Ankles is Michael Collins’ hearty comedy about friendship, fee and two strangers – young and old –
who meet in the afterlife. Bec Piplica directs Adam Bowes and David O’Brien.
David Perin directs his own play Deathbed – a story about love and its death after 25 years of marriage. It stars
Melissa Rose, Max Vendrig, Neil Khare, Paddy Lester and Peter Sharratt. Under the Starry Sky by Kelvin
Fawdrey (UK) is a surreal debate between two cowboys. James Brettell directs Simon Croker and Max Bulmer.
Finally Casey + Adam by Maggie Rose is ten minutes of mayhem and hilarity where two 20-somethings come to
grips with Dr Google’s diagnosis. “Casey is freaking out. Something’s wrong: the internet says it, so it must be
true!” Nicola James directs ACTT final year student/graduate duo Heidi Baleisis and Oscar Morphew.
Short+Sweet Theatre plays at King Street Theatre, Newtown until March 3, followed by
the finals. The full program of works and online booking for Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney 2014 is
at www.shortandsweet.org
Tickets are $33/$28 conc.
Media: for more info including weekly program, individual play briefs and images, interviews or any
other details please contact Geoff Sirmai, Sirmai Arts Marketing geoff@sirmai.com.au,
geoff@shortandsweet.org or call 02 9345 0360 m: 0412 669 272
Ankles, Sunburnt Country, Irish Stew, Good Girl, The Quest, Casey+Adam, Robyn Paterson South Afreakins, Like Peas in a Pod