September 5, 2008

SPRING AWAKENING FOR THE NEW ZEALAND PLAY IN WELLINGTON

Playmarket have announced a programme of playreadings and discussion for this October and November designed as a spring awakening for new theatre production in Wellington.
 
"Despite the continued work of existing producers," says Playmarket director Mark Amery, "in the last ten years we have seen an erosion of opportunities for new New Zealand work in Wellington. Wellington prides itself on being New Zealand’s theatre capital but faces the prospect of Auckland stealing its crown as the country’s hub of new New Zealand theatre."
 
Write Out Loud at Circa 2 on the weekend of October 11 and 12 will see four new plays by Wellington playwrights presented by teams of Wellington’s finest theatre practitioners, together with informal discussion around the future of Wellington theatre.
 
Readings in the Buffs at the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (above BATS Theatre) on the weekend of November 8 and 9 sees the presentation of three fantastic new plays from writers based outside of Wellington, including the winner of the 2008 Playmarket New New Zealand Play Award, Ninna Tersman’s Fucking Parasites.
 
The programme coincides with the world premieres of major new plays by Wellington playwrights, Drinking Games by Damien Wilkins at Circa 2 in October, and Heat by Lynda Chanwai Earle at BATS Theatre in November.

"Last year saw new New Zealand plays sweep all the major awards at Wellington’s Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards," says Amery. "Playmarket collected a record amount of royalties on behalf of playwrights, and we should better that record this year, despite theatres reporting a box office downturn overall."

"Wellington continues to see an amazing array of new theatre work, but beyond that quantity the infrastructure for quality development of productions is weak. Theatre needs to constantly reinvent itself with guts and vision to stay vital. These two events provide an opportunity for the theatre world to come together in Wellington to gain strength."

Write out Loud is presented with the support of Wellington City Council and Circa Theatre. Readings in the Buffs is presented with principal sponsor the Adam Foundation. 
 
WRITE OUT LOUD
New work by Wellington playwrights
Principal Sponsor: Wellington City Council
Circa2
 
REVISED TIMES
Saturday October 11
2pm Where Are You My Only One? by Vanessa Rhodes
4pm Meat by Geraldine Brophy

Sunday October 12
12pm Postal by Lucy O’Brien
2pm Under the Hood by Gavin McGibbon
2.30pm Barstools: Drinks with the Playwrights
4.30pm Drinking Games Damien Wilkins

READINGS IN THE BUFFS
The best from the rest
Principal Sponsor: Adam Foundation

Saturday November 8
2pm Flintlock Musket by Kirk Torrance
4pm Loser by Thomas Sainsbury

Sunday November 9
2pm Fucking Parasites by Ninna Tersman
3pm Wellington theatre forum

Playmarket is New Zealand’s playwrights organization. For further information see www.playmarket.org.nz