SHORT + SWEET COMPETITION 2008

This years competition will kick off on Wednesday 3 December and run through to Saturday 20 December. That's 3 weeks of punchy theatre action!

Stay tuned for further details of the competition format soon!

For media enquiries about Short +Sweet 2008 contact Mary Thompson at Tatia Sloley Publicity on (03)9419 8837 mobile: 0415 745 910 email: mary@tspublicity.com.au

SHORT + SWEET 2007
The 2007 competition was held at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio from 5 - 22 December 2007. A record 1141 submissions were received for the Short +Sweet 2007 competition which were then shortlisted to169 in mid-September of the very best from Australia and across the world.

The Season Outline is still available to view. The winners of the 2007 competition were announced after the final performance on 22 December 2007

In response to feedback from the 2006 Short + Sweet event we made a few changes to the competition format. There was not a separate Gala Final in 2007 as participants felt that perhaps too much emphasis was placed on the Gala Final in 2006 to the detriment of the rest of the season. Judges attended all programs of both Top 30 and Wildcards before the decisions were made.

SHORT + SWEET 2006
From the 800+ plays entered in Short + Sweet 2006 by aspiring, emerging and established writers, the top 60 plays were transformed into full productions for a three week season of feisty, original theatre from 29 November to 17 December at the Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio.

The audience went from unrequited love to Hitchcock directing James Dean to fishing with pandas to Jerry Springer and who knew where next - all in 10-minute unpredictable bursts!

There were three sections to the Short + Sweet competition - Top 30, Wildcards and Gala Final.

Gala Final
The winners of Short + Sweet 2006 were announced on Sunday 17 December at the Gala Final with Sleepless Night winning the $5,000 prize for Best Overall Production, as well as the Best Director Award for Nic Clark. Perfect Stillness won the People’s Choice Award, and the Media’s Choice Award went to Uncomfortable Silences.

Best Actor was Michael Finney in Uncomfortable Silences, with Natalie Carr winning the Best Actress Award for her performances in Spring Session and Hi, It’s Me, I’m on the Train.

The judging panel was Bruce Kerr, actor and director; Natalie Saleeba, actor; Rachel Gordon, actor; Rosemary Forbes, patron of the the Arts Centre; Mark Cleary, Newtown Theatre; Vanessa Pigrum, the Arts Centre – Full Tilt; and Robert Reid, playwright and 2005 Short +Sweet winner.

SHORT + SWEET 2005
In 2005 Melbourne got in on the act for the first time with Short +Sweet being produced and presented by the Arts Centre. Over 800 scripts were received for the competition and the selected works for the competition in November/December 2005 were a huge success performing to sell-out audiences.

Short + Sweet™ was conceived by Mark Cleary, developed by Alex Broun and first produced at Newtown Theatre, Sydney.