Garrick Announces - 3 Selected Plays - Inaugural Charlie Gregorini One Act Play Competition/Season

Charlie Gregorini One Act Season
– Garrick Announces Three Selected Plays
inaugural Garrick One Act Playwright Competition

January 2009 saw the announcement of the inaugural Garrick One Act Playwright Competition. In May the Guildford club proudly announced their dedication of the competition in honour of City of Swan’s former Mayor Charlie Gregorini.

Six months later, 204 registrations of interest from playwrights around the globe with a total of 84 play submissions, the Garrick Theatre is proud to announce the three selected plays and three selected directors from a healthy pool of directors who also registered their interest. The director’s who were all looking for a challenge, registered for the selection process and were not able to nominate their preferred genre or be privy to any of the plays submitted.

Coordinator Bruce Denny said “We want this competition and season to benefit all aspects of production, from encouraging new plays and playwrights, supporting new and challenging experienced directors, and presenting a quality season on Garrick’s historic stage, while keeping the annual festival circuit in mind”. 

“There were many outstanding plays to choose from. The five readers rated each play considering theatricality, casting, lighting/sound, costume and sound effects, whilst considering the degree of difficulty in staging and Garrick’s patronage. There are some plays I would love to follow up with at a later date for staging and possible workshops”.

New South Wales playwright Philip Ryall’s comedy on the horror of war The Chateau, is set in France 1915 at a chateau not far from the Western Front, a British General and a Corporal wage a desperate struggle to survive by making themselves and their chef Pierre indispensable to the war effort.

The Chateau will be directed by Garrick member Linda Redman who is regularly seen in the bio box with lighting or as Stage Manager for many Garrick productions in recent years. New to directing, Linda will have an experienced director as mentor at her disposal.

Wishes for Sale by Mary Zegura is a drama about how an old Indian mystic alters the lives of people who come to her for help, by granting their wishes – for a price. Originally from Yugoslavia, Zegura grew up in Guildford (NSW) so, of course, when she spotted WA’s Garrick One Act Play competition situated in another Guildford she couldn’t resist entering. 

Wishes for Sale will be directed by well known accomplished director Sue Hayward who has produced productions at many popular Perth theatre venues including Playlovers (Floreat), Melville Theatre (Palmyra), Old Mill Theatre (South Perth) and more.

WA’s Paul Beard was also successful with his drama Doubting Thomas. The distraught family of a 14 year old girl who has been missing for three days, have to also deal with the police enquiries, media, rumours and speculation. Ultimately the family begins to cast their own doubts and suspicions on the people closest to them, who is telling the truth?

Doubting Thomas will be directed by Chris Bedding who has previously directed several productions and has studied directing courses at NIDA and is looking forward to getting back into the director’s chair. Plans for auditions and rehearsals are being coordinated now and will perform at Garrick Theatre commencing August 28 with six shows.

Further information on Garrick Theatre’s inaugural one act playwright competition – Charlie Gregorini One Act Season, www.garricktheatre.asn.au or www.tazentertainment.com.au