Lynn Belvedere

SHORT AND SWEET THEATRE ILLAWARRA 2021 WEEK TWO

Short+Sweet Theatre Illawarra 2021 – Wollongong’s delicious contribution to the world’s largest little-play festival. Perfectly presented with swift changeovers between each play, provided the unique and rewarding experience, from experiencing the best of the best, which is Short and Sweet Theatre.

A quick ninety minute express intercity KIAMA train trip, from Sydney Central to Coniston. Fabulous ten minute (or LESS) plays, that made the express train journey very very worthwhile.

In Wollongong, everyone in the audience were all correctly wearing their disposable face masks, and of course face masks were not misused, as the infamously useless “neck-nappy”. A “neck nappy” is sometimes called a “neck-diaper” or “bib” as is worn by many babies. 

TOP 20 SHORT+SWEET PLAYS, with a strong group of writers/directors, and with unique original scripts –
14 x Female Writers
15 x Female Directors
5 x Play casts are travelling to Wollongong from Sydney
1 x Play group is traveling from Brisbane
4 x First Time Directors
8 x Illawarra Writers
6 x Sydney Writers
5 x International Scripts (UK, USA)



 

SHORT SWEET THEATRE ILLAWARRA 2021 WEEK TWO
PROGRAMME DETAILS WEEK 2
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD

(1) DIARY OF MARILYN
Marilyn Monroe her life and times, quickly re-live her sensational journey, with fast costume changes too. Debbie Neilson delivers an award-worthy theatrical performance experience.
Written and directed by Debbie Neilson (Corrimal)
STARRING Debbie Neilson

(2) SPELL IT OUT
Soft comedy. Use your imagination, OCD trauma causes her compulsion to spell her words when stressed.
Written by Katrina Samaras (West Wollongong) *
Directed by Brittany Louise Pike
STARRING Sally Evans, Ihaka Jones, Barbara Weir and Gabriela Gonzalez

(3) TALK TO THE HAND
Dialogue Intensive dramedy, paranoid-schizoprenia fully revealed, when you talk to your hand, and then your hand talks back to you.
Written by Rodney Marsden (Corrimal) *
Directed by Gabriela Gonzalez
STARRING Matt Bonnici and Michelle Phillips

(4) THE DATE
Speed dating drama, as each decade of time flies by, now dating, now together, now married, now separated, and much more.
Written by Chris Naylor (Balgowlah NSW)
Directed by Jasmin Shojai
STARRING Jasmin Shojai and Samuel Johnson

(5) SOCIALITE NETWORKING
Message play set in the 1930s, social-commentary comedy concerning the many perils, as caused by the multitude of awful unwanted features provided within our 2020s social-influencer culture.
Written by Nicky Denovan (Berkshire, UK)
Directed by Kelly-Maree Michael
STARRING Georgina Reed, Isabella Franklin and Tom Hadley

INTERVAL 15 MINUTES

(6) CLEAN SWAP
Comedy robbery, when threatened with a knife, expect those unexpected outcomes.
Written and directed by Brendan Bate (Thirroul) *
Produced by Bonnie Bate
STARRING Molly Turton and Johnny Chamberlain

(7) THE WRINKLE RANCH
Three female nursing-home residents, begin by playing russian-roulette sex-scrabble.
Written by Debra A. Cole (Kansas, USA) *
Directed by Karen Beavis
STARRING Barbara Weir, Patricia Cotter, Penelope Murray and Matt Bonnici

(8) PRESS PRAY
Church provides sanctuary. Comedy nightmare, because a woman is trying to talk with God, via the church’s awful Artificial Intelligence telephone call centre.
Written by Seth Freeman (California, USA)
Directed by Andrew Gobran
STARRING Jasmin Shojai and Toryn Biester (voiceover)

(9) YOU WON’T BELIEVE
Entertaining and very clever short-story comedy monologue in two voices. Debbie Neilson is quite superb as Grace, and also is splendid as her wheelchair bound mum. To finally find the love of her life, Grace uses an online dating app. Grace falls deeply in lust with the handsome alien-probed cat-fishing Marcel. Audience comedy favourite of the night.
Written and directed by Frank Leggett (Sydney)
STARRING Debbie Neilson

(10) DO NOT GO GENTLR
Comedy galore in Gotham City USA, as our older DC seniors, Bruce And Clark plan ahead.
Written by Graham Yates (Sydney)
Directed by Sara Nazemi
STARRING Ed Weich and Will Worthington

Venue – BRIDGE STREET THEATRE (Phoenix Theatre), 24 Bridge Street, Coniston (Wollongong) NSW

Two minutes easy walk, from Coniston Railway Station.
Four minutes easy walk, back to Coniston Railway Station.
F.Y.I. PLEASE DO NOT PANIC – despite the very misleading, multiple voice announcements, the weekdays 22:06 Coniston train back to Waterfall, IS ACTUALLY the 22:06 Coniston train back to Bondi Junction.

https://shortandsweet.org/festivals/shortsweet-theatre-illawarra-2021

SHORT+SWEET ILLAWARRA – Tickets WEEK ONE Theatre –
26, 27, 28 NOVEMBER 2021 – https://www.trybooking.com/BRNDW

SHORT+SWEET ILLAWARRA – Tickets WEEK TWO Theatre –
2, 3, 4 DECEMBER 2021 – https://www.trybooking.com/BRNEL

SHORT+SWEET ILLAWARRA PRODUCTION TEAM EXECUTIVE

Luke Berman | Executive Producer, Festival Director | luke.berman@shortandsweet.org

Elkie Chadwick | Production Manager, Associate Producer | elkie@blackboxtheatre.org

Tom Peach | Illawarra Literary Manager | literary@blackboxtheatre.org

Lisa Murray | Associate Producer, Business Development, Front of House | business@blackboxtheatre.org

SHORT+SWEET ILLAWARRA PRODUCTION TEAM

Phil Harris | Associate Producer, Publicist

Harry Burns | Theatre Stage Manager

Nick Lewis | Festival Lighting Designer

Stage Crew: Angélique Riou, Karen Illesca

SHORT+SWEET INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE

Mark Cleary | Artistic Director, Short+Sweet International

Alex Broun | International Literary Manager

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -