Judith Greenaway

SHORT + SWEET THEATRE WINNERS

The Last Radio Show team

The best 13 of 130 short plays (from over 1000 entries!) in the 10 week festival were performed with the honours mostly shared among a wide range of talented veterans and new young stars!

Congratulations to all the participants and winners of Short + Sweet Theatre 2018.  You can see SAG reviews of every performance over the 10 weeks here.  

Mark Cleary and John Longhurst
Overall winner with the Best Production award was "The Last Radio Show" by first time playwright - septuagenarian John Longhurst! 

With an all-star cast of Mark Longhurst, Gina Cohen, Dudley Levell and Jack Douglas,  directed by Stephen Tait - who also picked up the Kerry Casey memoral award for Best Director - the zany all-action farce portrayed a chaotic radio play performance with warring actors. 

Among other prizes, the play wins an invitation to appear at the prestigious Short+Sweet Hollywood festival in September! 
 
Jack Douglas also picked up Best Actor runner-Up gong.
Catherine McKernan Doris and Clare Nadas
Enough to Wake the Dead team
Best Wildcard play and Best Script went to "Enough to Wake the Dead" by another debut playwright Catherine McKernan Doris, starring Maria Karambelas, Vanessa Moltzen,  Stephen Penn,  Celia Kelly,  Jessica Loudon and Elouise Eftos, directed by Michael Harris. 
 Three sisters (and a granddaughter) reunite after their mother’s death... and everyone (including mummy) gets their say!
Valentina Buay and Renee Brack
The People's Choice (audience vote) winner and Best Actress award went to brilliant 18-year-old talent Valentina Buay and her tour-de-force physical theatre piece "To End Where You Began". 
 From birth to death... then in reverse at double speed, the cycle of life told in moving and funny sound and movement.
Balls Alive!
Crew Cut (staff pick) winner was the very original "Balls Alive!" about an air-guitar band conflict. 
 Suriya Ticehurst, Tyler Cross and Matthew Bartlett starred in Brian Wallace's witty comedy.
Nicolas Angelosanto and Renee Brack
Best Actor award went to Nicolas Angelosanto for his terrific performance in the one man, one bike play "Lucy and Me"  - created in collaboration with Jennifer Anne Laycock.
Lola Bond and Renee Brack
Best Actress runner-up 16-year-old Lola Bond was a popular choice.  The talented newcomer starred in "The Eulogy" by Kel Vance, directed by Brendan Paul and co-starring fellow school student actor Archit Mahajan.
Best New Talent winners were Anthony Langford and Jessica Phoebe Knox.

All photographs by Geoff Sirmai Arts Publicity [Facebook]