Over the next ten days, 30 Australian playwrights will have new work showcased in the brand-new Storytellers Festival, curated by Festival Director and playwright Joanna Erskine, in association with Danny Ball and KXT/bAKEHOUSE.
Just one month ago, Erskine put the call out for new writing: “Those words you wrote that have never been heard? We want them. Storytellers Festival @ KXT is a 2-week pop-up celebration of playwrights and words. It’s an opportunity to showcase unproduced plays, share writing that has never been heard, and come together as a playwriting community.”
More than 70 plays were submitted within the short submissions timeframe. Suzanne Millar of bAKEHOUSE/KXT said “The incredible reception from writers just shows how much a festival like this is needed, in showcasing new work from playwrights at all stages of their careers.”
Erskine added “There are more plays than there are stages in Sydney. Writers often feel like we are competing to share our stories. I wanted to provide a platform to share as many as possible, and hopefully, after being seen and heard, a lot of these readings will lead to productions.”
The Spotlight program showcases full length, unproduced plays at or close to, final draft stage. The three plays are The Poison Mother by writer/social commentator Van Badham; The Corporeal Restructure of Eva de Nave by Canberra writer Emma Gibson; and Kangaroo by Bathurst writer Miranda Gott.
The House Lights program features excerpts and short works by 20 writers curated by theme: Sex & Strangers, New Worlds, and Mother Tongue, a powerful showcase of female voices. Each program runs on separate nights and showcases the work of 6 – 8 writers.
The Festival also features a number of special events. The KXTeethcutting Night is produced by Danny Ball, who along with Hugo Kohne facilitates KXT’s existing artist development program and showcases of some of Sydney’s most exciting new and emerging talent. The Festival will close with the special event Play Your Way, a brand-new play written by ten playwrights during Week two – based on audience-inspired writer prompts.
Erskine says she hopes to achieve a few things with the Festival – “Showcase unproduced writing, connect our community of writers with each other and the wider industry, and further encourage audiences to see new work. Come and meet the artists involved, give your feedback, and celebrate local stories and artists.”
Storytellers Festival
Kings Cross Theatre, 244-248 William Street, Kings Cross
Season continues to 25 August 2018
Information and Bookings: www.kingsxtheatre.com