Gasworks Arts Park has announced that Adam Fawcett is the winner of Playtime 2018 for his work, Become The One.
Playtime Staged Readings is an initiative presented by Gasworks Arts Park in partnership with Midsumma Festival and aims to identify, support and develop new playwriting talent and get queer issues out there for mainstream audiences to consider and enjoy. The LGBTQIA+ community is diverse, exciting and full of stories and ideas that deserve to be heard on the stages of performing arts venues throughout the country.
Four applicants from across Victoria were selected to participate in the Playtime Staged Readings, which were held during this year’s Midsumma Festival, including: Adam Fawcett (Become The One), Jayden Walker (Pink Triangles), Jessica McKerlie (Body) and Tobias Manderson-Galvin (The Natural Disaster).
From these four works, Adam’s play Become The One was selected by an industry panel and audience feedback to go on to receive support and development to become a full scale work and be presented at Midsumma 2019. The ultimate aim of Playtime is to tour the work nationally to expose it to a wide range of metropolitan, regional and rural audiences.
Become the One is an intense look at the budding romance between a closed bisexual footballer and a young queer man, examining our toxic culture of masculinity and the circumstances from which it might be broken. A celebration of queerness, a celebration of difference, and an examination of what it takes to do the right thing – as a lover, as a high profile sports star, as a human being – to Become The One.
“As a first-time playwright, the opportunity to connect with audiences passionate about queer themes was an incredible experience for me,” said Adam. “Listening to their considered responses and hearing their supportive feedback has only strengthened my resolve to continue developing this work through to a presentation. To be able to do that with the support of the wonderful people at Gasworks Arts Park and Midsumma is the kind of opportunity you dream of as a playwright.”
Adam Fawcett is an emerging playwright and fiction writer, with his most recent work The Anniversary published by n-Scribe magazine. He is also co-founder and Creative Producer of independent new-writing theatre company Lab Kelpie, with Artistic Director, Lyall Brooks.
Adam has produced all of Lab Kelpie’s shows since the company’s debut in 2013, including the award-winning A Prudent Man, which featured at the Brisbane, Darwin and Hawkes Bay (NZ) Festivals in 2017. His latest work, Sissy will be presented as part of Playlist at the 2018 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
For more information, visit: www.gasworks.org.au or www.midsumma.org.au for details.
Image: Adam Fawcett (supplied)