2016 Patrick White Playwrights' Award, Fellowship Shortlist Announced

Sydney Theatre Company has released the judges' shortlist of five plays in the running for the 2016 Patrick White Playwrights' Award which will be announced with a rehearsed reading of the winning play at The Wharf on Friday 20 May 2016 at 7pm. The winner of the prestigious Patrick White Playwrights' Fellowship will also be announced at the event on 20 May.

The Award and the Fellowship are initiatives of Sydney Theatre Company and exist to foster the development of Australian playwrights while honouring Patrick White's contribution to Australian theatre.

The Patrick White Playwrights' Award is for an original, unproduced play. The winning playwright will receive $7,500 and the opportunity to work with a director and actors during a workshop culminating in a rehearsed reading of their play. Scripts are submitted anonymously, with the aim of acknowledging a playwright whose play is ambitious, demonstrates skilful application of craft and reveals great potential for a stage production. This year 131 entries were received for the Award, from which the following shortlist of five plays has been selected:

- Near Life by Jane Bodie

- Kin by Neil Levi

- Between the Streetlight and the Moon by Melita Rowston

- Hell's Canyon by Emily Sheehan

- Pedagogy by Chris Summers

The Award judges are Polly Rowe (Sydney Theatre Company Literary Manager), Kate Mulvany (playwright and actor, and Patrick White Playwrights' Fellow 2014) Hannie Rayson (playwright), Declan Greene (director and playwright), with deliberations chaired by Jonathan Church (Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director).

The recipient of the Patrick White Playwrights' Fellowship will be announced at the same time as the Patrick White Playwrights' Award.

Now in its fourth year, the Fellowship is a position for an established Australian playwright whose work has been produced professionally in Australia within the last four years. The winning playwright receives a $12,500 prize in recognition of their body of work and previous artistic achievements, as well as a commission from Sydney Theatre Company, which they will develop during the year long (22 May 2016 through to 20 May 2017) fellowship.

Limited tickets for the event, part of the Sydney Writers Festival, are available from the STC box office: Tickets $5 (02) 9250 1777 or sydneytheatre.com.