Playwrights are my rockstars.

Some of them even wear leather jackets (Caleb Lewis), some of them are dashing silver foxes who used to wear leather jackets (Ned Manning), some of them are bright eyed stylish ladies (Tahli Corin) and some are just so unbelievably cool they make you want to move to London and start a new life (Suzie Miller)… I love them. Not just those mentioned above – but the whole colossal lot of them – fiercly, funny, articulate – and as is the lot for many playwrights – extraordinarily hard working and patient.

Is it any wonder that I rubbed my hands together with glee when asked in my final months as Programs Coordinator at Queen Street Studio, to curate a Toolkit series of workshops for playwrights? OH WHO TO ASK/CHOOSE FROM? Last year I invited the magic triumvirate of Tahli Corin, Rick Viede and Kate Mulvany – sassy, young and utterly different. This year I thought a different approach. Always with one ear to the ground I thought I would select a mix of experienced writers who had also had experiences as mentors – and who I know, I’ve commissioned or whom I have had looooong coffees with at some stage. And this TOOLKIT series was my parting act of curation for the extremely wonderful Queen Street Studio – I am proud/excited/thrilled that it is happening – these are some seriously incredible writers –

Hilary I met early after returning to Oz at one of her Griffin courses – two years later I programmed Three Little Words for the first Brand Spanking New (2008), directed her Wolf Lullaby and soon I will be directing her piece as a part of 7-on’s next project….
Billy I saw at a Writers Guild talk back YEARS ago when i was working at the Australian Film Commission. None so unrelentingly fierce and astute. He loves story. He loves Character. He believes in the audience. He pushes all the buttons in the right order, at the right time. AND I read his blog religiously. How could I not?
Verity Laughton – elegant lady of the theatre, commissioned for BSN in 2009, generous, kind and with the type of mental clarity that feels like Stuart crystal in your hands. Prolific writer of The Sweetest Thing, Nargun and the Stars amongst others.

Queen Street Studio’s workshops are for writers to uncover a new way of thinking, to kickstart, to reassure/affirm what they know… it’s a creative top up. For me, it’s a sneaky way to meet playwrights (not so sneaky now, I suppose) and to reserve time for creativity.

I can’t wait.

And I reckon you should come along, have a cup of tea.

Playwriting evening workshops in April and May 2011

Workshop 1: With Hilary Bell
» Wednesday 27 April, 6pm – 9pm

Workshop 2: With with Billy Marshall Stoneking
» Wednesday May 4, 6pm – 9pm

Workshop 3: with Verity Laughton
» Wednesday May 11, 6pm – 9pm

Registration and payment deadline: Tuesday 19th April 2011

All 3 workshops held @ FraserStudios, 10 – 14 Kensington Street, Chippendale. Click here for a map » External Website Link

Kick your playwriting ideas and skills into high gear with this very special playwriting workshop series over April and May 2011. Facilitated by award-winning Australian playwrights, this three-week playwriting workshop series will give you an insight into the methods, structure and discipline to dive into your new play with vigour, passion and imagination. You are welcome to register for one workshop or all three. All workshops will take place at Fraserstudios.

Hilary Bell
Plays include Wolf Lullaby, Fortune, The Falls, The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Ruysch, Memmie Le Blanc, The Bloody Bride, The Mysteries: Genesis (with Lally Katz) and associate writer on Angela’s Kitchen (with Julian Meyrick and Paul Capsis). Hilary also writes for radio, film and TV, and her music theatre work encompasses libretti for musicals, song cycles and opera. Current projects include a musical, Do Good And You Will Be Happy, with Phillip Johnston, and plays for Black Swan, STC, Barking Gecko, and the National Theatre in London. She is a member of playwrights’ company 7-On, and a recipient of the Philip Parsons Young Playwrights’ Award, Jill Blewitt Playwrights’ Award, Bug’n’Bub Award, Aurealis Award for Fiction, the Eric Kocher Playwrights’ Award, the 2007 Inscription Award and an AWGIE for Music Theatre. She is a graduate of the Juilliard Playwrights’ Studio, NIDA and AFTRS. She was the 2003–04 Tennessee Williams Fellow in Creative Writing at the University of the South in Tennessee. She is a director on the Griffin Board, on State Of Play’s artistic directorate and on the artistic advisory panel for the Production Company, New York.

Billy Marshall Stoneking
Billy Marshall Stoneking has written for film, television, radio and theatre. He is the author of seven books, including the modern-day Australian classic, Singing the Snake. His production credits include the award-winning ABC-TV drama Series, Stringer (creator/co-writer); and the internationally acclaimed stage play, Sixteen Words for Water. He was also series writer on Paramount Television’s Mission: Impossible and has script edited numerous award-winning films and television series, including Andrew Dominik’s Chopper, Darlene Johnson’s Crocodile Dreaming, Scott Ryan’s SBS-TV series, The Magician, and Maya Newell’s acclaimed documentaries, TWO and Richard; The most interestingest person I have ever met, which had its world premiere at the 2007 Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. During his seven years at AFTRS, he originated and taught the now-legendary Drama of Screenwriting course. For more information about Billy, visit his website at: www.wheresthedrama.com

Verity Laughton
Verity Laughton’s work has been produced in Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, the UK and the USA. It includes main-stage adult dramas, a promenade community event, a musical, adaptations, plays for child and family audiences, as well as for dance, for puppets, for theatre of image and a ‘neutral script.’ Her plays include: The Ballad of Bonnie Wheeler; The Mourning After; Carrying Light; Burning; The Snow Queen; Koala Lou (musical); Gondwana; The Nargun and the Stars (both large scale puppetry) Awards include: AWGIE for Community Theatre, 2004 (The Lightkkeeper); The Griffin Prize, 2001 (Burning); AWGIE for Radio Drama, 2004 (Fox); Adelaide Critics’ Circle Best New Australian Play, 1999 (Carrying Light); Inscription Award, 2009 (The Ice Season). Two recent radio plays, Moon Door and Davy were nominated for the 2009 AWGIE Awards. The Nargun and the Stars was featured in both the 2009 Sydney Festival and the 2009 Perth International Festival. Latest Work: The Sweetest Thing (short-listed for the Griffin Award, the Rodney Seaborn Award and long-listed for the London Warehouse Festival Award) is due for production at Belvoir Downstairs in October, 2010 and The Crate of Souls at the Adelaide College of the Arts in December 2010. She is a member of the 7-ON group of playwrights.
Playwriting Workshop rates:

TOOLKIT is a non-profit program that has is subsidised by Queen Street Studio with fees going directly to paying the guest artist and for the use of the space.

Queen Street Studio Member’s Rate: $55 per session or $130.00 for all 3 workshops
Non-Member Rates: $70 per session or $175.00 for all 3 workshops » SAVE HEAPS. Become a member for only $20!
Student Rate: $65 per session or $160.00 for all 3 workshops
(All fees include GST)