The Sydney Fringe is here – a time of wild experimentation – of DIY enthusiasm – of bizarre artistic occurrences and disoriented punters muttering “what did I just see?” It’s an opportunity for the grass roots, emerging and established alternative arts, independent arts and hybrid arts to throw themselves into venues, coax audiences to relinquish their cash and take a chance. Read more

OK. Let’s talk about new work.

There seems to be a bit of discussion around plays – new plays and old plays, adaptations, reinventions, notions of “Australian” work, “new Australian plays”, the issues of the development of plays, the question of new play production. Discussions about women playwrights and their representation in main stage theatre programs… there’s even discussions about classic plays – and the Australian canon… Read more

As it gets to the narrow end of the year, it’s not surprising that I seem to be dipping into moments of introspection and retrospection – as I gear up for production – namely Vanessa Bates’ The Night We Lost Jenny and Alana Valentine’s The Sex Act for the season of Women, Power and Culture – and Platonic a site specific work by Playwriting Collective 7-ON.

After a massive 2010, 2011 has been a time of finding balance and scale. Read more

After a sophisticated large scale, main stage dose of Lally Katz in the form of Neighbourhood Watch at Belvoir, Sydney audiences have an opportunity to view some of her earlier work, small-scale, intimate and full of possibility programmed as a part of the Griffin Independent season. Read more

The Sydney Fringe has arrived again – and tonight is the official opening night. Last year was an interesting experiment to see the what and how of wrangling a Fringe Festival in the inner west… fuelled by enthusiasm and lead by ex-ex-pat Kris Stewart the 2010 Fringe Festival was a difficult affair for many artists – limited resources, limited time and big ambitions meant that many felt burnt by the experience of being a first time producer. Read more

Written on the back of her Kit Denton Fellowship (an award granted to a writer who demonstrates courage) and
in 2009, Suzie Miller’s Transparency is a play which has already lived a full life before premiering in her home country. There is something very strange about Australia and their treatment of new plays, their playwrights and the commissioning of new works. And I won’t linger too long on this in case I overwhelm my response to this play with too much context. But I must say there is something inherently brave about being a playwright – you write without guarantee of anyone seeing, reading your play, you write without guaranteed income, you dare to tell stories that may not want to be heard, and you may not necessarily be liked, appreciated or admired for airing some difficult questions to the more comfortable members of society (ie middle class theatre goers). And Suzie Miller’s Transparency is drenched in bravery and courage… right through to it’s bones. Read more

This was a year for me to sit back, enjoy some fallow time… A time to see shows, think about things, bake muffins, tend my garden, and support the new writing world in a different way. After a wonderful year of mulitple and many productions and a hot phone and much demand – I decided that 2011 would be a very different year.
No Brand Spanking New this year… an instead I am in the director’s chair for New Theatre’s Women, Power and Culture season directing two new works by Alana Valentine and Vanessa Bates. Read more

PLAYWRITING AUSTRALIA CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Submissions Open for the National Play Festival 2012

Closing date for applications is 3 October 2011 Read more

Since it’s first performance at the Royal Court in 1994, Stephen Jeffrey’s play The Libertine has found it’s way into audition rooms, drama schools across the world, it’s even been made into a film… and the opening speech repeated and repeated and quoted and quoted, it is as difficult to handle as any of Hamlet’s soliloquies. Read more

I pride myself on being a strong and hardy woman. I’m active and robust and happy and keen and sharp and brilliant and ready… for most things. A full diary, a full fridge, a full theatre going calender, a full life. i say yes to many offers – for coffee or dinner, or readings, or shows… because I am a freelancer. And I’m independent. Read more