Aficionados of the short play form will have to wait for another year after the Gala Final of the Short and Sweet Festival took place at NIDA’s Parade Theatre last Saturday night, March 13th, 2010.The annual Short and Sweet Festival continues to be one of the major fringe theatre success stories.

These are my favourite moments from the night.Frank Leggett’s poignant play ‘Mr and Mrs Metcalfe Enjoy The Music Of Elton John’, about a couple coming to terms with terminal illness, and seeing their wonderful partnership unfairly cut short, was beautifully performed.Tim Hehir’s clever, shorthand version of ‘Pride and Prejudice- In Ten Minutes Flat’ was delightfully performed by a great cast.Steve McGrath’s ‘Taking A Bullet’, astutely placed just before interval, was a very funny piece about a meeting between the security guards for President Obama and Prime Minister Rudd with the impending visit of the American President to Australian shores. The play was deftly written by McGrath, one of Sydney’s few gifted, natural comedians. Brett Heath gave a great darkly comic performance as the world weary Death desperately in need of recharging in Nir Shelter and Terrence Foltyn’s, ‘Life Of Death’

I’ve saved my favourite for last. My favourite play of the night was Pat Brennan’s ‘Putting Your Best Foot Forward’. Brennan’s insightful, comic piece about two actors, one an experienced performer, and the other just starting out, chatting away in the dressing room as they put on their make-up before getting ‘their call’, just captured so well the dreamy way that so many theatre people are! The piece was beautifully performed by Andy Leonard and Charles Billeh.

There are still many purists who exclaim that short plays are not theatre, just as twenty twenty is not cricket. They miss the point however that, like with the cricket, the Festival is attracting people who would normally not go anywhere near a traditional theatre venue.

On the night the the major results were,- Carl J. Sorheim’s ‘It’s All The Rage’ won best overall production, Frank Leggett’s ‘Mr and Mrs Metcalfe Enjoys The Music of Elton John’ won best play, Steve McGrath’s play ‘Taking A Bullet’ won best Independent Theatre Company production, and ‘Pride and Prejudice In 10 minutes Flat’ won the People’s Choice Award for most popular play.

For full results of the Gala Finals night please go to the official Short and Sweet website http://www.shortandsweet.org.