January 22, 2009

PLAYMARKET NEW PLAY AWARD WINNER and
first line-up for NEW WRITING / NEW PRODUCING forum announced.  

The 53rd Victim by Pip Hall has won the 2009 Playmarket New Play Award. The play is based on the true story of a New Zealander who pretended to be a doctor in the aftermath of the 2005 London Bombings and died shortly after. She was described at the time as Bombings’ "53rd Victim".

The 53rd Victim, and Sketch by Wellington playwright Kate Morris, have also been selected to be given workshop presentations as part of the upcoming Aotearoa Playwrights Conference NEW WRITING / NEW PRODUCING Forum at the Auckland Festival, March 7 and 8.

Playmarket have also announced the initial lineup of presenters at the Forum, a rare and vital opportunity for the national theatre industry to come together around new New Zealand work.

Speakers so far confirmed are: Anna Marbrook, Shona McCullagh, Justin Lewis (Indian Ink), Gary Henderson, Geraldine Brophy, Helen Moulder, Dave Armstrong, Roger Hall, Stuart Hoar, Dayle Hunt (Red Theatre), Susan Jordan (DANZ), Makerita Urale, Ken Duncum, Carla Van Zon, Hone Kouka (Tawata Productions), Trevor Schmidt (Northern Lights, Canada), Michelanne Forster, Stephen Bain (Winning Productions), Alison Quigan, Lester McGrath and Philippa Campbell (Auckland Theatre Company), Paul Rothwell, Elizabeth O’Connor (Court Theatre), Adam McCaulay (RNZ), Andrew Malmo (Strata Creative), Guy Boyce (Christchurch Arts Festival), Kirk Torrance, Steph Walker (BATS) and Dean Parker.

Playmarket is inviting registrations from playwrights, playmakers, theatre producers and presenters to participate by February 20, with discount tickets for selected Auckland Festival productions for those registering before February 13.

The NEW WRITING / NEW PRODUCING forum in Auckland at The Edge, is an event that with addresses, discussions, plays and parties gets playwrights, playmakers, producers and presenters working together and sharing ideas. Playmarket welcomes registration from anyone interested in the creation and production of new New Zealand work anywhere in the world, be they a playwright, theatre practitioner or supporter. The full programme and more information is available at: www.playmarket.org.nz/opportunities/playwrights_conference

The forum also has a parallel programme for choreographers produced by DANZ which will see the theatre and dance worlds come together for some key sessions.

The presentations of The 53rd Victim and Sketch are at 2pm on March 7 and 8 and are open to the public. Sketch sees a terminally ill woman puts her last days on display at the ultra-conservative Tensing Gallery, Wellington. At first appalled, the arrogant, emotionally repressed director calls for the exhibition to be pulled, but at the last moment withdraws his request when a close friend mentions there is money to be made, and even better, a legacy that even money couldn’t buy.