March 28, 2015

ADAM NZ PLAY AWARD 2015 WINNERS ANNOUNCED 

New Zealand’s dark history and violent present revealed in award-winning plays. 

PLAYMARKET is pleased to announce the ADAM NZ PLAY AWARD winners for 2015: Anders Falstie-Jensen for Centrepoint and Hone Kouka for Bless the Child. 

The Adam NZ Play Award recognises and celebrates the best in new writing for the theatre. 

Director of Playmarket Murray Lynch announced the win at Circa Theatre on 28 March 2015 alongside four other special award winners.

Based on meticulous research and interviews Centrepoint is a fictional take on the story of New Zealand’s most notorious community. In order to save their marriage, Kate and Neil decide that a change is needed. Inspired by the vision of Bert Potter, they sell everything they own and, with their two young children, move to Centrepoint. As they embrace the community’s radical lifestyle their family is changed in ways that they could never have imagined. 

Anders Falstie-Jensen was born in Denmark and has lived in Aotearoa since 2001. He is one of the founding members of The Rebel Alliance Theatre Company. He has worked as a director, writer, producer and in many other roles in the theatre. His writing credits include A Night of French Mayhem (2007), The Bomb (2008) and Standstill (2012). 

Bless the Child eloquently and passionately highlights the tragic issue of violence against children. Another Maori child has died and hotshot lawyer Khan Te Ahi Richards is reluctantly dragged in to the case to defend the mother as the whanau close ranks. Shardae, mother to the deceased child, is demonised and guilty until proven innocent. Who killed baby and will they be found out?  Affecting all is Ruaumoko, god of earthquakes and unborn children.

Hone Kouka (Ngati Porou, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Kahungunu) is an acclaimed Maori writer, winner of the Bruce Mason Award (1992) and multiple Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. His plays, which have been produced throughout Aotearoa and around the world, include Waiora, Nga Tangata Toa, The Prophet, Tu and the solo show I, George Nepia. Hone has published five books and co-founded theatre production house Tawata Productions with Miria George. Tawata produces the works of emerging and established Maori, Pasifika and tauiwi playwrights and the Matariki Development Festival. Hone became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Contemporary Maori Theatre in June 2009.

Dean Parker was named Runner Up for his play Polo, an hilarious evisceration of class and politics set amongst the Auckland glitterati and full of sparkling dialogue and despicable characters.

Highly Commended was awarded to Tom McCrory for his play Significance in which an ageing Shakespeare muses on the death of his son. 

The Adam NZ Play Award, now in its eighth year, is the only one of its kind for new writing. Playmarket’s only entrance requirements are that the playwright be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and that the play has not yet had a production.

The award is generously funded by the Adam Foundation. Playmarket is also very grateful for the support of Circa Theatre, and major funders: ASB Community Trust and Creative New Zealand. 

ADAM AWARD WINNERS 2015
Anders Falstie-Jensen for Centrepoint and Hone Kouka for Bless the Child

Runner-up: Dean Parker for Polo 

Best Play by a Woman Playwright: Michelanne Forster for The Gift of Tongues. 

Best Play by a Maori Playwright: Hone Kouka for Bless the Child

Best Play by a Pasifika Playwright: David Mamea for Kingswood

Highly Commended: Tom McCrory for Significance

Finalists:

Aroha Awarau for Officer 27 

Sam Brooks for Spitting it Out 

Kip Chapman for Hudson and Halls Live! 

Denis Edwards for Service to Love 

Pip Hall for Squeak Squeak – Tales of the White Mouse  

Nathan Joe for Who is Sada Abe? Part One: Bullfight of Love  

Riwia Mackenzie-Brown for The Violet and the Huia Feather 

Ken Mizusawa for Why We Do What We Do? 

James Nokise for The Last Part 

Gavin McGibbon for Congregation 

Robyn Patterson for The World’s First Fight 

April Phillips for Charlotte Badger – Miscreant, Mother, Mutineer! 

John Smythe for Where there’s a Will

Aroha White for 2080