Winners Of Young Playwrights Competition Announced

22 March 2005

Winners Of Young Playwrights Competition Announced

Six exciting young playwrights have been singled out in Playmarket’s Eighth New Zealand Young Playwrights Competition, an event that has established itself as an important stepping stone in the development of new writers for our theatre.

"These young writers have created stories that tackle a wide range of subjects – from family dilemmas and childhood memories to self-image, abortion and war," says Playmarket Script Development Co-ordinator Kathy McRae. "Their concerns will resound with many New Zealanders and this competition suggests that the future of this country’s playwriting is in really interesting hands."

The competition (open to those aged between 16 and 22) is organised by national script development organisation and agency Playmarket. The winners are:

Paul Rothwell (Morningside, Auckland) – Deliver Us
Zoe Deverick (Papakura, Auckland) – Pond Life: in the eye of the beholder
Thomas Sainsbury (Ponsonby, Auckland) – The One
Owen Winter (Masterton) – Castlepoint Dreaming
Robbie Ellis (Johnsonville, Wellington) – Drift
Kate Morris (Dunedin) – Consuming Vanessa

Interestingly, two of the playwrights are repeat winners: Robbie Ellis and Thomas Sainsbury were both winners in 2002.

The writers will be teamed up with professional directors, dramaturgs and casts for a week of workshops and professional development in Dunedin from Monday June 27 to Friday July 1. The plays will receive presentations at Allen Hall Theatre during the day on the Friday. This year's competition is run in association with the Theatre Studies Department at Allen Hall Theatre, Otago University.

The judges were Auckland writer and dramaturg Fiona Graham and Dunedin actor director Hilary Norris, with Playmarket's Mark Amery and Kathy McRae facilitating.

ENDS

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