Red Stitch's Writer's Festival Goes Digital

Red Stitch's famed PlayList festival brings Melbourne's most exciting new and established writers together every year in a celebration of the wonder and possibility of theatre. It's one of the most anticipated events on the Australian theatrical calendar, where writers are asked to craft a new work inspired by a song, and incorporating that song. Since 2013 over 70 writers from around the country have found their voices on the stage of Red Stitch Actors' Theatre.

This year, for the first time, Playlist will not only inhabit Alma Park in Melbourne for a three night takeover incorporating music and storytelling, it's coming to screens everywhere with two made-for-digital short theatre works streaming directly to you.

A live premiere of two beautiful new works from Morgan Rose and Eric Gardiner will be broadcast over Facebook Live and YouTube just two days before the PlayList festival kicks off in person in Melbourne. Then, audiences will be able to catch them on-demand in the CST Screening Room via their website.

In Seers by Morgan Rose (Virgins and Cowboys, desert 6:29pm), two teenagers romanticise an uncertain but horrible future: wealth, a teaching career, loneliness, a war and survival - all are fantasised about with the joy and lightness of youth. Seers is a conversation turned conjuring about expectation, fear, and the state of the contemporary world.

And in Jonah by Eric Gardiner (Bounty, Prayer Machine), we meet two brothers on a lookout bench as they contemplate plans for their aging father. How long do we wait to hear from our Elders? Three, four days? How long before you knock on the door?

Chris Bendall, CEO of Critical Stages Touring said, "We have had a wonderful and important relationship over the years with Red Stitch Actors' Theatre, touring three new works produced by the company now in recent year. Jurassica by Dan Giovanonni, American Song by Joanna Murray-Smith & currently Lamb by Jane Bodie & Mark Seymour. Their development program is such a significant contributor to new Australian theatre, and PlayList has been one of the key contributors over the years to this program. This is why we are so excited to be able to share these two wonderful digital adaptations from the 2019 PlayList program in our Screening Room, creating yet another connection between our two companies."

Hosted by Chris Bendall, and featuring live interviews with Red Stitch's Ella Caldwell, and writers Eric Gardner and Morgan Rose, it's a short, punchy, poignant, mid-week adventure into hybrid theatre.

Event Details:
6pm AEDT
Wednesday 24th March
Watch via Facebook or YouTube