06.06.12
Over two seasons each year Griffin energetically champions the freshly baked, but we up the ante in our annual Writing Fest, going on a micro-epic adventure in a week devoted to the newest of the new. For punters it’s a chance to be a cultural Indiana Jones – seeing some stuff that no-one else has seen and rats. Potential loot includes work made an- alarming 24-hours before presentation and work that will take you out of the theatre, onto the streets, past some rats and to a wake.
Most of this new stuff will be memorable, finely crafted, and headed to a stage near you sometime soon (e.g. the Griffin Award presentation and readings of the shortlisted plays – extracts only though, Scout’s honour!). Some of this stuff will be highbrow enough but some might also be a bit lively/crass/obscene – say Griffringe, definitely the 24-Hour Play Project. Although, to be fair we’ve seen not just the vulgar; but some out of control whimsy as well – not unicorns, but magic horses. So there’s something for everyone.
Speaking of horses, we’re having a Practical Matters Forum for Artists to stop being the baby horse/ wise up by learning about tax, super, copyright, legal issues around collaboration and so forth. No-one wants to make the best musical of all time Highway to Hell: The Bon Scott Story to see it tour to everywhere in the world for ten years without making a buck off it, am I right?
Some of our nation state’s other coolest writers in Lally Katz, Tommy Murphy, Andrew Bovell and Vanessa Bates will be appearing at the Stables. If you are a confirmed theatre tragic, writer, or person sent to represent your company, the AWG presented Where are we as Playwrights in 2012? is the one for you. Hang on a second, cool, yes, but are these ‘participating writers’ also hot? Check this fact on our pinterest page Hot Playwrights. We do not say this page is comprehensive, however.
Our marketing manager might have a different favourite; but clearly the entertainment highlight of the week will be our new and fleeting Studio project, Lovely Ugly. If you checked out Heartbreak Hotel last year that was cool but this could be better – it ends at a pub wake happening with musicians, drag queens, dancers and so on. Our Studio artists, PlayWriting Australia Associate writers and NIDA affiliate director (PLUS Liv Satchell and Liz Arday) have been ferreting away practically all year on a show that goes over three venues and is on for one night only. Look there won’t be a trailer for this, there are no postcards, photos will be banned, we’re not really promoting it, it will never be repeated, we have some amazing actors. There are about thirty tickets left and if you figure out how to buy one then I think you can have it.
‘Willie: You know how to fly, don’t you?
Indiana Jones: Um, no. Do you?’
