The ‘biggest little play festival in the world’ is back after a COVID-enforced break.
The festival enters its 20th year in its founding Sydney home, led by new Festival Director Nick Hardcastle. The 2021 restart promises to be the biggest, most exciting and diverse programme yet.
The festival continues to honour the thrilling spirit and popular ten-minute format which has made the Australian original an international hit, spanning multiple genres and more than 20 cities around the world.
Writers around the country and beyond have been busy during the pandemic writing new ten-minute plays. . . Now is their chance to share it on stage, where it belongs.
Kicking things off at the festival is a week of ‘hindsight’, with the best plays from the five weeks of the 2020 festival. This will culminate in a special ‘Best Of The Fest’ evening.
Then, the remaining plays which were yet to be presented in 2020 will be invited to appear this year, with any of the writers, directors and actors who participated in the first five weeks of last year’s event also welcome to submit another work in 2021. Every play will be programmed in competition and guaranteed two evenings and a matinee performance.
Short+Sweet acts as a showcase for writers, directors and actors.
“The special new programming team will ensure that Sydney audiences see the full breadth of our community,” Festival Director Nick Hardcastle says.
“Representatives will engage with specific community groups of writers, directors and actors to make sure that those artists have a voice and an opportunity to participate in the festival. Whether they be diversely abled, BIPOC, new immigrants, LGBTQIA+, have English as a second language or are elderly, we want everyone to know that we have room for them and their wonderful stories here!”
“Our message to you is that this is: Your Community, Your Story, Your Voice, Your Festival!”
Short+Sweet Sydney is on at Tom Mann Theatre from 10 May-22 August.
