Bite-sized theatre all set for summer
The largest ten-minute theatre festival in the world will return this January, once again showcasing local and international short plays in Sydney.
Now in its 12th year, Short+Sweet begins on January 9 and will incorporate theatre, dance, musical theatre and cabaret for audiences.
Short+Sweet writer and actor Steve McGrath’s play The Man Who Knew Poe will premier on King Street Wharf on January 23.
“During my experience with Short+Sweet I’ve discovered the ten minute play is a unique art form. A good ten-minute play can make an audience think just as deeply as a 90-minute one, and life is too short to spend too much time sitting in the dark.”
A past Short+Sweet finalist, Mr McGrath first entered the event in 2005 and has been writing and directing his work ever since.
“Over the past eight years I’ve developed a bit of an obsession about delving into the minds of famous people and what may have gone on behind the scenes when they came into conflict with other famous people,” he said.
“I have played Alfred Hitchcock trying to direct James Dean, Spike Milligan debating the fine line between tragedy and comedy with Peter Sellers, and last year I played Salvador Dali dueling art against religion with the Dalai Lama … all in the ten-minute landscape.”
Mr McGrath’s entry this year focuses on 19th century writer, Edgar Allan Poe.
“He has always fascinated me … as bleak and dark as he was, the play is set at midnight. I found most of the rewrites worked best at midnight; by the dim light of my computer screen. You don’t need to be a fan of Poe to understand the play.”
Another seasoned expert at the Short+Sweet form, actress Courtney Pink will feature in It’s The Quiet Ones You Have To Watch Out For, one of 80 short plays handpicked from a list of 2,000 submissions.
“Our play follows an apparently deserted department store, where a fiendish conspiracy is underway,” Ms Pink said.
“But how far are the plotters prepared to go, and are they ready for the consequences of their scheme?
“My character is a window dresser who thinks Chanel, but somehow still ends up in Supre. She’s totally unaware of her shortcomings, and can’t understand why her terrible fashion sense and vapid personality haven’t landed her the fashion career of a lifetime.”
A short play expert with worldwide experience, Ms Pink first performed in Short+Sweet in 2006 and has used the event as a launching pad towards stints on Broadway in New York and in Edinburgh.
“It’s a fantastic festival that supports emerging playwrights, as well as giving huge opportunities to Australian actors to perform not only here but overseas.”
