Sydney’s Short and Sweet Festival is over for another year with the Grand Final having taken place on Saturday 31st March.

The judges chose well. Gabriel McCarthy, an ACTT student, gave a wonderful comic performance in Sepy Baghaei’s quirky piece about inspiration SOMETHING TO BE DONE, which also won the best production award.

Taylor Klas brought the house down with a great comic performance in JOANNE’S REAL WORLD (written by Klas with Jamie Burgess), playing a stroppy, cynical Centrelink staffer. Taylor’s piece deservedly won the best actress award. The piece also won the award for Best Script.

Keane Williams won the best director award for FROM A GREAT HEIGHT a clever piece about an office romance that had plenty of potential, but one that sadly never took place. The piece was well performed by Glen Waterhouse and Jo Ford.

The People’s Choice Award was given to the THE WHISKEY BAR, a quirky piece written by Robert den Engelsman. This was a stand-out, a Western Musical that took place in a steamy saloon bar and featuring something I have never seen before in Short and Sweet, a cast of ten performers and three musicians. A knockout!

American playwright Joan Boadman’s provocative drama SAVE ME, about a reckless driver severely injured in a car crash, and then has to bargain for his life, was the WILDCARD Award winner. The piece was well performed by Neil Modra and Hendrik Elstein.

Lyndall Johnston won the award for BEST NEW TALENT as an impressive rookie director for two pieces, THE BLACK VELVET GLOVE and KNOWS HIS ONIONS, neither of which made the finals’ night.

A special rap for one piece, which failed to take out any awards, but was a genuine delight. The play was American playwright Nicole Pandolfo’s I THOUGHT I LIKED GIRLS. This was a clever piece which inverted the stereotypes around sexual preference. The play was elegantly directed by Terry Meller and well played by Anne Hruby, Ric Herbert and Hazel Savolainen.

© David Kary

7th April, 2012

Tags: Sydney theatre reviews- Short and Sweet Final 2012 Final, Everest Theatre Seymour Centre, Gabriel McCarthy, Sepy Baghaei, Taylor Klas, Jamie Burgess, Keane Williams, Glen Waterhouse, Jo Ford, Robert den Engelsman, Joan Boadman, American playwrights, Nell Modra, Hendrik Elstein, Lyndell Johnston, Nicola Pandolfo, Terry Meller, Anne Hruby, Ric Herbert, Hazel Savolainen, Kerry Fluhr, Sydney Arts Guide, David Kary