The eleven short plays featured in Week Five of this annual festival illustrated many possibilities of the genre.

Variations in structure, script, concept and casting were in abundance for the audience to sample. A delicious tussle between comedy and drama existed within some of the best competition entries on this night. Other standout pieces were well-paced and focused in their construction, with streamlined scripts. They hurtled towards the twists and turns in their climax with energy.

The King Street Theatre audience was able to vote for their two favourite short plays of the night. Choosing just two was difficult on this night.

One of only two monologues on the night was THE PARTICLE COLLIDER, written by Sonal Moore. The hysteria of a stressed mother gone terribly wrong featured much familiar and easily accessible material. Its accelerating rant towards a train wreck climax was well performed by Brooke Doherty.

Also combining the intimacy of modern monologue poetry was SPEED DATING, by Tara Calaby. By manipulating the speed dating energy, successive monologues used the dating concept to poignantly summarise relationship futures in successful and meaty short play fast forward.

The night’s triumph of characterisation and big-picture flow within the short play framework was THE RENTAL COMPANY by Mark Cornell. Already awarded the first prize in the Brisbane Short and Sweet Festival for 2012, it entertained with classic quotes and more for an audience to subtly savour than merely its powerful stock characters.

Week Five of the Short and Sweet Festival continues at the King St Theatre, 644 King St, corner Bray Street, Newtown until Sunday 10th February. Performances Friday and Saturday 8pm and Sunday 5.15pm.

(c) Paul Nolan

8th February, 2013

Tags: Sydney Stage Reviews- Short and Sweet Week 5, THE PARTICLE COLLIDER, Sonal Moore, SPEED DATING, Tara Calaby, THE RENTAL COMPANY, Mark Cornell, Brooke Doherty, Sylvi Soe, Sydney Arts Guide, Paul Nolan