Playwrights in the sunshine state

It is only a matter of days until the inaugural PlayWriting Australia National Play Festival kicks off.

If you didn't already know, PlayWriting Australia is the brand spanking new organisation headed up by ex-STC Literary Manager Chris Mead and is the amalgamation of the Australian National Playwrights Centre and Playworks.

Although based in Sydney, their first festival is (appropriately) being held in Brisbane which is moving and shaking as one of the new centres of writing in the country. They already have the Queensland Writers Centre which has become the darling of the Queensland Government and they are also throwing down the guantlet with their annual Brisbane Writers Festival.

It is also appropriate because Queensland's new premier Anna Bligh was the state's arts minister under Peter Beattie and no doubt would have helped Mead and his board stage the event. Something that would only be in the realms of fantasy for our Rugby League Premier Morris Iemma.

John Doyle, who is suddenly becoming a darling of the theatre industry (he has his first play premiering at the Sydney Theatre Company this year) is giving the opening address on Sunday 10th February.

What follows is a bunch of play readings which showcases new works from Kylie Trounson, Rosalba Clemente, Mary Rachel Brown, John Fraser, Steve Rodgers, Ross Mueller, Sven Swenson and Sue Smith.

You then have what are called Access Sessions. I have no idea what that means, but essentially there are a host of talks given by playwrights and producers including Daniel Keene, Joanna Murray-Smith, Lally Katz, Michael Futcher, Helen Howard, Scott Rankin and Cathy Hunt.

The entire programme is intertwined with performance seasons of new Australian works at the Queensland Theatre Company, Brisbane Powerhouse and La Boite Theatre.

Sounds fascinating. Check out the programme and get yourself a cheap flight up to Brissy for a weekend.