After an absence of fourteen years, director Richard Cotter is making a return to the Short & Sweet stable.

Back in 2003 when the festival was in its infancy he helmed Tony Laumberg’s The Great Divide, a play that Laumberg extended into a full length show which Cotter also directed to critical acclaim and box office success.

Now he’s back in the director’s chair with Allan West’s controversial ANSWER MY PRAYER, a piece strong enough to lure him back in to the festival fold.

“It’s always first and foremost about the writing and Allan’s script is a terrifically timely yet perennial tale about people’s relationship with God.”  said Cotter.In a nutshell, the play poses the question: If we do or don’t get what we pray for, how do we know if God was really listening?

ANSWER MY PRAYER has four petitioners vying for divine intervention, from the innocent and innocuous nine year old boy to more sinister, subversive solicitations, plus two characters who appear to be on the periphery but intrinsically pertinent to the narrative.

“We have assembled a cracker cast. I’m thrilled the super talented Sarah Plummer, with whom I worked with last year on The Days Are As Grass, has come on board, as well as Alexandra Camp Martinez, a gifted actress from Barcelona who is making her Sydney stage debut.

Steven Burns and Philip D’Ambrosio are two young men who have a certain undeniable sizzle in their stage presence, and the absolute youngster of the ensemble is Josiah Van Stolk playing the cheeky kid to whom intercession involves celestial match fixing.

Rounding out this outstanding cast is Simon Doctor, who is also producing under his Active Theatre Productions banner.”

Expect tears, laughter and shocks.

ANSWER MY PRAYER by Allan West plays Short & Sweet Week 2, January 18-22 at 730pm The Depot Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville.

http://www.shortandsweet.org