New Theatre has announced that Miranda Michalowski is the winner of The Silver Gull Play Award for 2024 for her play, Macaroni and Dead Things.
The Silver Gull Play Award is a competition open to NSW and ACT-based writers over the age of 18 for an unpublished and unproduced original play of 60 minutes or more duration that speaks to New Theatre’s ethos of ‘Plays With a Purpose’.
This year New Theatre received a record number of entries, displaying a wide variety of subject matter, and the judges praised the quality and originality of the writing. Six plays which the judges considered outstanding were shortlisted:
- 6069 and Counting by James Balian and Roger Vicker
- Fortress by Erica J. Brennan
- Noah’s Ark by Campion Decent
- Rehearsing Julie by Noel Hodda
- Roslyn Gardens by David McLaughlin
- Macaroni and Dead Things by Miranda Michalowski
In addition, three plays were Highly Commended: The Mountain Remembers by Daley Rangi, The Incorrigibles by Melita Rowston and She Threaded Dangerously by Simon Thomson and Emma Wright.
On Monday 14 October, in front of an enthusiastic audience, excerpts from the six shortlisted plays were presented by actors Saif Alawadi, Kate Bookallil, Barry French, Luisa Galloway, Will Mears and Helen Tonkin, under the direction of Joseph Tanti.
Miranda received a prize of $5000 and the other shortlisted writers received $500 each, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Joy Minter, who has supported The Silver Gull Play Award since its inception in 2015.
Macaroni and Dead Things follows Charlie, a neurotic primary school teacher with a newfound passion for funeral crashing. While attending a service, Charlie meets an elderly man called Teddy and lies to him about her deep friendship with Darla, the deceased.
As this friendship blossoms, so does Charlie’s relationship with Kiana, her best-friend-turned-lover who has just returned from a year-long trip to Greenland. But Charlie’s been acting strange lately, and Kiana can’t figure out why.
When Charlie takes her morbid fixation a step too far, she is forced to confront the grief in her own past, and the guilt that has been haunting her.
Macaroni and Dead Things is a brilliant monologue, incorporating other voices occasionally to enrich the sound,” said the Judges. “It is so beautifully written that even before the drama gets underway we are riveted by the protagonist’s personality and expression, and the humour in the telling.”
“It is deeply moving, with a wonderful redemptive and healing end. It throbs with the richness, kindness and love of human nature. In short, a superb piece of theatrical writing.”
Miranda Michalowski (she/her) is a writer and performer living on unceded Gadigal land. She is passionate about telling heartfelt, funny and strange stories about women and queer characters. In 2021, Miranda was selected as one of 20 young writers for the esteemed ATYP National Studio.
Her first play, Young Bodies/Somebody’s, debuted at Flight Path Theatre in 2022 and is published by Playlab, with recent productions on the Central Coast and in Brisbane. Miranda’s second play, Saturday Girls, was shortlisted for the Rodney Seaborn Playwright’s Award and debuted at Belvoir Downstairs in 2023, leading to a mentorship with acclaimed playwright Suzie Miller.
Miranda was recently selected for ATYP’s 2024 Fresh Ink program. She is currently developing comedy projects across stage and screen, including a magical realist play about pregnancy, The Kid.
For more information about The Silver Gull Play Award, visit: www.newtheatre.org.au for details.
Image: Miranda Michalowski – winner of The Silver Gull Play Award 2024 – courtesy of New Theatre