SHORT AND SWEET THEATRE TOP 80 week two SYDNEY 2020 @ AMPA TOM MANN THEATRE

SHORT+SWEET 2020 SYDNEY – Top 80 plays, and this is the second week of this eight week festival of S+S short plays. There are nine very different and unique plays, some plays include adult themes (trauma/suicide), being performed live on stage this week, at Short and Sweet, the world’s biggest little play festival. Delicious delightfully dark dramas concerned with death and dying, and some with dramedy, an important message play, there are two absolutely engaging monologues, plus laugh-out-loud farce-based comedy entertainment to end the evening.           

1. BODHIRATTVA
Bodhirattva the rat, is trying to reach nirvana, but “Everybody loves the Cheese”. Clever word-driven comedy with a twisted ending and a winning clever performance. The huge three metre long, fully-working rat-trap has to be seen.
Written and Directed by Jeremy Godwin
ITC – Wild Nights
CAST
Bodhirattva (Adult Rat) – Jeremy Godwin
Baby Rat – Jesse Sher

2. DANNY BOY
Two brothers, excellent and original drama about their baby brother, manslaughter, death, perjury, all set during a ten minute jailhouse visit.
Written by Sandra Fairthorne
Directed by Tegan Ware
CAST
Oli – Oli Stening
Chester – Lucca Paijmans

3. THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE
Superbly crafted, female short story comedy monologue, a winning and animated performance, very capably delivered using multiple voices. We meet the unrealistic Gaelic bride (Becca) starting from her first wedding night, and her quite alarming but very funny journey through each of her failed seven marriages.
Written by Pete Malicki
Directed by James Fitzgerald
CAST
Becca – Shereen Nand

4. THE FOURTH WALL
Familiar S+S comedy storyline, but totally predictable outcomes and journey, over-long and non-sensical, but the initial two incredible characters, easily kept the opening night audience laughing.
Written by Stu Boyce
Directed by Alyssa Gillgren
CAST
Xanthro – Aiden Mckenzie
Sharlene – Nicola Tabuena
Brock – Lucas Boyer
Raven – Alyssa Gillgren

5. BRIDGE
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb comedy, blunt/rude ensemble cast of six highly motivated bridge climbers, was an inspired and very enjoyable audience favourite.
Written and Directed by Debbie Neilson
ITC – Pot Plant Productions
CAST
Sally – Christine Firkin
Charlie – Neil Modra
Brad – Greg Thornton
Sam – Katie Lees
Paul – Lloyd Darling
Peggy – Olivia Tegart

6. THE HARSH
Wedding day at the reception, two best friends discussing early death and the risk-free expectations. This morality message drama, ponders bacon versus tobacco, deliberately choosing to die at fifty, and battling Henry is the ex-beau of the bride, and she has just married Nick.
Written by Alex Dremann
Directed by Caitlin Andrews
CAST
Henry – Tim Breadmore Nick – David Green
Hannah – Skye Butcher

7. NOW WE ARE TEN
Warm Fresh Meat. Female dramatic monologue, performed with both skill and aptitude, mostly in one voice, plus deliciously directed with panache. Younger sister Anne has been given a brand new lease on life, by the deadly actions of her sister Abigail. A father equally cruel and punishing towards his two daughters, gets a well deserved comeuppance.
Written and Directed by Frank Leggett
CAST
Abigail – Miranda Michalowski

8. LIFE
If this message play re-triggers trauma, telephone LIFELINE 13 11 14. Paranoid Schizophrenic, struggling with depression, visits his psychiatrist, but we can hear his talkative, overbearing and very critical inner voice.
Written by Curtis Harrild
Directed Miroslav Nedeljkovic
CAST
Matthew – Elias Parker
Mrs Anderson – Alyssa Gillgren
The Voice – Miroslav Nedeljkovic

9. CURTAIN CALL
Procedural annoying farce comedy, play within play, the bullying and quite pretentious director (Sam) is ready to destroy all his creatives.
Written and Directed by Alicia Badger
ITC – Moontan Productions
CAST
Sam – Alex Fenner
Vic – Andrew Badger
Jo – Alicia Badger
Charlie/Chris/Kim/Ash – James Fitzgerald

Every week there is a new Short+Sweet Top 80 program (Thursdays-Fridays-Saturdays at 7.30pm and Saturdays at 1.00pm and Sundays at 6.00pm) and the annual Short+Sweet huge gala finals, all take place during April 2020.

Third year in this big new venue for S+S, and comfortably seating a maximum of 171. The Short+Sweet festival has brand new shows every week for the eight weeks, and runs through to April 2020.

* “In theory, if you came to see every week of the 2020 S+S Sydney Festival you will have seen 80+ ten-minute short plays, and the work of approximately 600 artists. Now you understand why they call it The Biggest Little Festival in the World!’ ” *

Short+Sweet Theatre (@ Tom Mann Theatre) Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) 136 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills

SHORT + SWEET THEATRE – Top 80 – WEEK TWO – 20th February 2020  until  23rd February  2020

7:30pm until 10:00pm Thursdays-Fridays-Saturdays

1:00pm until 3:30pm Sundays

6:00pm until 8:30pm (followed by the official presentation, announcing the weekly winners)

TICKETS:   https://www.tickettailor.com/events/shortsweetsydney

WEBSITE:   https://shortandsweet.org/festivals/shortsweet-theatre-sydney-2020

https://www.facebook.com/pg/shortsweetsydney/

https://m.me/shortsweetsydney

https://shortandsweetsydney.wordpress.com/

Production  pix  by  Jim  Crew

The Happiest Day of My Life won the Judges choice.

And Now We Are Ten won the People’s choice