One-Act Play Festival gets a new make-over

THE Toowoomba Repertory Theatre has revamped its Carnival of Flowers One-Act Play Festival into Carnival Hour Plays to offer more to both Australian playwrights and theatre audiences over six nights until Saturday, September 23.

As Repertory considered the fifth year of the festival, it decided to change its approach to the playwriting competition and the resulting festival making it more reflective of the way theatre was progressing.

Convenor Michael Taylor said: “The one hour to one and a half hour play with no interval is the trend now”.

“The longer play gives you time to develop the characters more fully, thereby enriching the play,” he said.

“Good play writing has the characters driving the plot rather than the other way around and when the characters are well drawn then the play is better.”

The new format this year features two different types of comedy by finalist playwrights Bruce Clark from Brisbane and Mark Macrossan from Sydney, with the winner announced on the final night, Saturday, September 23.

Sponsored by Excavation Equipment the winner will receive $4000 and the runner-up $2000.

The theatre hired a professional dramaturg Ian Lawson to work with the playwrights, directors and actors in a workshop to help develop the overall vision for the play by assisting with dialogue, movement, characters and flow making it more audience ready.

“Starting this year we are no longer allowing overseas entries as we want to use our energies to support Australian writers and drama,” Mr Taylor said.

“We hope that not only will our audiences enjoy the new Carnival Hour Plays but the playwriting competition will be seen by authors as a stepping stone to the professional production of their work especially now we have a professional dramaturg on the team.”

Tickets are available at www.toowoombarepertorytheatre.com.au, where there are also details for fundraising performances.