The Silver Gull Play Award Reveals Shortlist

The Silver Gull Play Award competition this year attracted a record number of entries, with an extremely high standard of scripts submitted. For the first time, the competition was extended to include writers over the age of 18 from both NSW and ACT.

The judging panel read, assessed and discussed each submission multiple times. The identity of the writers was kept anonymous from the judges, so the shortlist truly reflects a determination made on merit, based solely on the quality of the writing.

After a month and a half of deliberation, a shortlist of six plays has been selected. The judges were impressed by how each writer responded to the brief for plays that speak to New Theatre’s ethos of 'Plays With a Purpose', and the merit of scripts demonstrates the amazing strength and diversity of playwriting in this country. 

The shortlist for The Silver Gull Play Award 2024 is:

6069 and Counting by James Balian and Roger Vickery
Fortress by  Erica J. Brennan
Noah’s Ark  by Campion Decent
Rehearsing Julie by Noel Hodda
Roslyn Gardens  by David McLaughlin
Macaroni and Dead Things by Miranda Michalowski

The standard was so high this year, that a further three plays were Highly Commended: The Mountain Remembers by Daley Rangi, The Incorrigibles  by Melita Rowston and She Threaded Dangerously by Simon Thomson and Emma Wright.

The curator of the awards is New Theatre's Literary Manager, Helen Tonkin, and joining her on the judging panel for this year's award is: Louise Fischer (Artistic Director, New Theatre),Margaret Thanos (Artistic Associate, New Theatre), New Theatre's Play Assessors panel (Annie Bilton, Michael Briggs, Doug Cairns, Susan Jordan, John Keightley, Sahn Millington, Rayma Watkinson), Saro Lusty Cavallari (freelance director and writer, Artistic Director, Montague Basement), Joy Minter (sponsor of the award), Patrick Howard (freelance theatre maker, Arts on Tour Program Manager), and Siobhan Lawless (actor, Co-Artistic Director, Flight Path Theatre).

Congratulations to the shortlisted writers, who will share in a total prize pool of $7000 courtesy ofsponsor Joy Minter. We're looking forward to presenting rehearsed readings of excerpts from the shortlisted plays, directed by Joseph Tanti, at the awards night on Monday 14 October, when the winner will be announced.