The RE Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Development Awards: Winners 2009
The 2009 awards were judged by Tom Healey (Convenor), Patricia Cornelius and Alison Croggon.
Judges' report
This year the judges received 40 entries from a diverse range of playwrights. It was noted that the strongest entries tended to come from the poetic or 'alternative' end of the spectrum. All but one of the winning contenders conform to this pattern. The playwrights are all strong contributors to Melbourne's vibrant independent theatre scene and their writing reflects the diversity of style, as well as the powerful social and political stances this community embraces. All four of these works require considerable development. We are very excited to see where they might end up.
We are thrilled to announce that Declan Greene has been selected to attend the 2010 PlayWriting Australia National Script Workshop in addition to the workshop outlined in his proposal.
We would also like to extend our special commendation to David Mence whose play Convincing Ground created much animated and excited discussion. Cold comfort it may be, but we tried very hard to include this remarkable piece of work in the final mix.
The winners
Rhonda is in Therapy
Bridgette Burton
An unfinished feisty tragi-comedy about an academic fatally attracted to one of her students. Strong contemporary themes and punchy dialogue give this play a powerful spine to explore some serious and challenging themes
Save for Crying
Angus Cerini
Well-known Melbourne playwright Angus Cerini continues his odyssey into the inner world of the dispossessed. His hallmark poeticism and savagery combine with an extraordinary lightness in this new work.
Pompeii, LA
Declan Greene
A rumbling, growling work of high-camp comedy and Sewellesque despair. This is outrageous, incorrigible, opinionated and disorienting. It's early days in the development of this work, but we all wanted to see where it would end up.
Raging in the Name of the Dead
Thomas Henning
This project is written by a member of one of Melbourne's most interesting theatre collectives; Black Lung. Constructed entirely of film quotes, the script as it stands is the beginning of an investigation into the nature of text and narrative in live performance. It is dense and bewildering. It's also very funny and contains the seeds of an extremely interesting piece of work.
About the winners
Bridgette Burton
Bridgette Burton began acting in 1987 with youth and amateur companies then moved on to University theatre and the semi-professional and professional theatre. She formed Baggage Productions, with Christina Costigan in 1999. Bridgette has co-written three successful comedy shows, each enjoying multiple seasons: Femme (2000), Breeding Contempt (2001) and Undomesticated (2003) . She has also written two one-act plays (Not Forgotten and Juice), one full-length play (Killing Jeremy) and myriad short plays. In 2005 Bridgette won The RE Ross Trust Playwrights' Script Development Award for Killing Jeremy and in 2006 was shortlisted for the Griffin Award for the same play. Bridgette's short plays have been selected for seasons around Australia and overseas. Bridgette lives in the Dandenongs and is married with a son.
Angus Cerini
Angus Cerini is a theatre maker who writes, produces, performs and directs new work in Australia and internationally. He has had more than 9 solo works and 12 plays produced since 1997. His works cross over between theatre and dance, featuring a strong affection for themes of social justice and masculinity. As a writer, Angus has had plays produced or commissioned by Playbox, Melbourne Workers Theatre, Arena Theatre Company, Platform Youth Theatre and at LaMama. He has been long-listed for the Australian/Vogel Literary Award and is the co-winner of the 2007 Patrick White Playwrights' Award.
Declan Greene
Declan Greene is a writer and performance-maker based in Melbourne. His produced works are: Bog (Monash University Student Theatre/Theatreworks 2005), Laugh Out Loud (winner of the Monash University National Playwrights’ Competition 2005), and Rageboy (commissioned by Union House Theatre, co-production with Midsumma Festival and The Malthouse, 2007). In 2007 he received a development award from The RE Ross Trust for A Black Joy. With Ash Flanders, Declan runs DIY trash-theatre company Sisters Grimm, and to date has co-devised and co-written Fat Camp (2006), Bumtown (2007), Mommie & The Minister (Adelaide Fringe 2008 and Edinburgh Fringe 2008), and Cellblock Booty (Garden of Unearthly Delights, Adelaide Fringe 2009). Currently he is working on commissions for the Melbourne Theatre Company as part of their Young & Emerging Artists Program and for Arena Theatre. Upcoming productions include A Black Joy (Fortyfive Downstairs, 2009) and Home Economics (The Storeroom, 2009). In 2009 he will be one of the Australian delegates at World Interplay.
Thomas Henning
Thomas Henning is the Co-Director of Melbourne based Black Lung Theatre. His work with Black Lung includes: Welshman Cometh (co-writer), Sugar (co-writer) A ramble through the Wooded Glen (co-writer), Rubeville (writer) and Avast. Rubeville was awarded Best Theatrical Production at the Adelaide Fringe and Best Production at the Melbourne Fringe. With Oubykh Theatre, Thomas’ work has included Dingy the Fish (co-writer) and Sod (writer).
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