Short and Sweet
Encyclopedia
Short+Sweet is a multi-form arts platform presenting festivals in theatre, dance, music-theatre and cabaret across Australia and Asia. The one common thread between all festivals is that all works presented - be it theatre, dance, music-theatre or cabaret - must be ten-minutes or less.
Short+Sweet's vision is simple - a more creative world ten minutes at a time.
Short+Sweet Theatre was founded at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney, Australia in January 2002 by Mark Cleary, beginning with the first ever Short+Sweet Theatre festival.
In January 2004, Alex Broun
took over as Artistic Co-ordinator of Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney, and he introduced many of the elements that have made Short+Sweet so successful - strict time-limit, limit of one play per playwright, one play per director and two plays per actor, people's choice voting and the competitive aspect of the final where plays are chosen from each week to progress to the Gala Final.
Short+Sweet Theatre is now the largest ten-minute theatre festival in the world and each year it showcases bite-sized dramatic treats - each less than 10 minutes.
Each year, Short+Sweet Theatre presents over 350 productions of ten-minute theatrical gems at festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Central Coast in Australia and Singapore and Malaysia - and from September 2009 - Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide.
Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney alone features 90 main stage theatre productions (one week run) and 30 wildcards (one performance each).
In 2009 Short+Sweet Theatre will receive in around 2000 script entries from writers across the globe.
Short+Sweet Dance premiered at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney in 2007 for one week. In 2009 the Sydney season expanded to three weeks and the first ever Short+Sweet Dance Melbourne was held at Chapel Off Chapel under the direction of Alister Smith in June, 2009.
Short+Sweet Song, which comprises ten-minute music theatre works, began in 2007 at the Seymour Centre and the third Short+Sweet Song will be held in October 2009 at the Pilgrom Theatre in Sydney in association with the Australian Institute of Music
. The 2009 Festival is led by Festival Director Andrew Threlfall and Musical Director Bev Kennedy.
Plans are also advanced for the creation of Short+Sweet festivals in Auckland (New Zealand), New York (USA), Paris (France) and London (England).
Short+Sweet Theatre Melbourne began in December, 2005 and the Arts Centre
. It began at the Black Box theatre, moving to the Fairfax Studio in 2006
In 2009 Short+Sweet in Melbourne re-located to Chapel Off Chapel in Prahan, which will also host the first ever Short+Sweet Dance Melbourne
The Singapore Festival premiered in June 2007, and is presented at Lasalle College of the Arts and the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. It features plays in Mandarin as well as English.
Short+Sweet Theatre is currently coordinated in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide by playwright Alex Broun
(also the Artistic Director for Short+Sweet Theatre). Nicole Stinton is the Festival Director for the Short+Sweet Singapore 2009 festival.
Mark Cleary is the overall artistic director for Short+Sweet International
Short+Sweet's vision is simple - a more creative world ten minutes at a time.
Short+Sweet Theatre was founded at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney, Australia in January 2002 by Mark Cleary, beginning with the first ever Short+Sweet Theatre festival.
In January 2004, Alex Broun
Alex Broun
Alex Broun is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and Rugby journalist who has worked extensively with Short+Sweet , the world's largest ten minute theatre festival...
took over as Artistic Co-ordinator of Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney, and he introduced many of the elements that have made Short+Sweet so successful - strict time-limit, limit of one play per playwright, one play per director and two plays per actor, people's choice voting and the competitive aspect of the final where plays are chosen from each week to progress to the Gala Final.
Short+Sweet Theatre is now the largest ten-minute theatre festival in the world and each year it showcases bite-sized dramatic treats - each less than 10 minutes.
Each year, Short+Sweet Theatre presents over 350 productions of ten-minute theatrical gems at festivals in Sydney, Melbourne, Central Coast in Australia and Singapore and Malaysia - and from September 2009 - Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide.
Short+Sweet Theatre Sydney alone features 90 main stage theatre productions (one week run) and 30 wildcards (one performance each).
In 2009 Short+Sweet Theatre will receive in around 2000 script entries from writers across the globe.
Short+Sweet Dance premiered at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney in 2007 for one week. In 2009 the Sydney season expanded to three weeks and the first ever Short+Sweet Dance Melbourne was held at Chapel Off Chapel under the direction of Alister Smith in June, 2009.
Short+Sweet Song, which comprises ten-minute music theatre works, began in 2007 at the Seymour Centre and the third Short+Sweet Song will be held in October 2009 at the Pilgrom Theatre in Sydney in association with the Australian Institute of Music
Australian Institute of Music
The Australian Institute of Music is a private not-for-profit institution originally founded in 1968 by Dr Peter Calvo, and then known as the Sydney Guitar School...
. The 2009 Festival is led by Festival Director Andrew Threlfall and Musical Director Bev Kennedy.
Plans are also advanced for the creation of Short+Sweet festivals in Auckland (New Zealand), New York (USA), Paris (France) and London (England).
History
Short+Sweet began in Sydney in January 2002, with the first ever Short+Sweet Theatre, at a single venue, the Newtown Theatre, and has steadily gained in popularity and size, now encompassing a second venue, the Seymour Centre.Short+Sweet Theatre Melbourne began in December, 2005 and the Arts Centre
The Arts Centre (Melbourne)
The Victorian Arts Centre is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the inner Melbourne suburb of Southbank in Victoria, Australia....
. It began at the Black Box theatre, moving to the Fairfax Studio in 2006
In 2009 Short+Sweet in Melbourne re-located to Chapel Off Chapel in Prahan, which will also host the first ever Short+Sweet Dance Melbourne
The Singapore Festival premiered in June 2007, and is presented at Lasalle College of the Arts and the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. It features plays in Mandarin as well as English.
Short+Sweet Theatre is currently coordinated in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide by playwright Alex Broun
Alex Broun
Alex Broun is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and Rugby journalist who has worked extensively with Short+Sweet , the world's largest ten minute theatre festival...
(also the Artistic Director for Short+Sweet Theatre). Nicole Stinton is the Festival Director for the Short+Sweet Singapore 2009 festival.
Mark Cleary is the overall artistic director for Short+Sweet International
Spin-offs
A number of other projects have been created under the banner of Short+Sweet:- Shorter+Sweeter is a touring showcase of the best plays from Short+Sweet Theatre. In 2010 the third tour of Shorter+Sweeter will tour Australia for five months through support of the Australian Government via Playing Australia, featuring the actors Josephine Clark, Roanna Dempsey, Nicholas Gunn, Sonya Kerr, Charlie Mycroft & Carl J. Sorheim
- Fast+Fresh is a 10-minute theatre competition for participants under the age of 18. It premiered in Sydney in 2005 under the guidance of Neil Gooding and has also been run in Melbourne.
- Short+Sweet Cabaret - in 2008 Short+Sweet launched itself into the realm of cabaret by staging Short+Sweet Cabaret at The Butterfly Club. To accommodate the festival’s growth Short+Sweet Cabaret is moving to Chapel off Chapel in November 2009 to run concurrently with Short+Sweet Theatre Melbourne 2009.
Participants
Many notable playwrights, directors, actors and independent theatre companies have participated in Short+Sweet.Playwrights
- Van BadhamVan BadhamVan Badham is an Australian writer. A playwright and novelist, she writes dramas and comedies.-Early life:Van Badham was born Vanessa Badham in Sydney in 1978 . Her mother and father worked in the New South Wales gaming and track industry, with her father eventually working for the registered club...
- Ben EllisBen Ellis (playwright)Ben Ellis is a playwright from Gippsland in Australia, now based in London. His significant works include Post Felicity , Falling Petals , a stage adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis , and more recently Poet No. 7 and The Final Shot , both premiering in London...
- Alex BrounAlex BrounAlex Broun is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and Rugby journalist who has worked extensively with Short+Sweet , the world's largest ten minute theatre festival...
- Tom TaylorTom Taylor (writer)Tom Taylor is a comic book writer and award-winning playwright who has also written for radio, musicals, film, magazines, satirical news and sketch comedy...
- Robert Reid
- Angus Cerini
- Judy Balan
- Rajiv Rajaram
- Jane Miller
- Brendan CowellBrendan CowellBrendan Cowell is an Australian actor, screenwriter and director. Cowell was born in Sydney. He stumbled upon acting by accident while waiting for his sister to come out of a rehearsal; he was then cast in a commercial at age 8...
- Kate Toon
- Craig Delahoy
- Pete Malicki
- Dean Lunquist
Independent theatre companies
- Black Lung
- Red Stitch
- theatre in decayTheatre in DecayTheatre in Decay is an independent theatre company operating in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 2000 by artistic director Robert Reid and producer Anniene Stockton.Theatre in Decay is a multi award winning independent theatre company, which has produced 28 unfunded original shows in various...
- Stray Factory
- Stagefright Productions
External links
- http://www.shortandsweet.org Short+Sweet
- http://www.alexbroun.com Alex Broun