Seven Australian playwrights will share $60,000 in prize money following the announcement of the Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting by the Australian Writers’ Guild today.
Two plays were celebrated as joint winners in the Stage category, with Kathryn Marquet’s Aurochs sharing the prize with Steve Rodgers’ The Future is History.
The judging panel described Aurochs, an examination of the way we treat animals and the way we treat each other, as “a carefully crafted, complex, nuanced work that bears angry witness to the ugliest elements of our evolution.”
“I’m so honoured to be shortlisted for the Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize for Playwriting and grateful that the work is being seen,” said Marquet.
“Aurochs is the story of a once-god, reduced to a commodity of human industries. It examines how we can look each other in the eyes and still cause immense cruelty; how we’ve forgotten our deep connection to the earth and its creatures; and warns that what we do to others, we also end up doing to ourselves. These important awards help playwrights get their work onto the stage and provide financial support for writing. I can’t thank the AWG enough.”
On The Future Is History, the judges praised the compelling drama as a reflection of the inequalities of our time, saying “This prize-winning play offers richly drawn characters our judges genuinely connected with. A well-crafted and moving play with an ending that packs an emotional punch.”
“You always write a play with the hope it’ll be produced, knowing the likelihood of achieving that goal is rare. For the work to be recognised by the Shane and Cathryn Brennan Prize, an award advanced by the Writers’ Guild I proudly belong to, is an honour. That it might further expose the play towards a stage gives renewed belief, that this story matters,” said Rodgers.
In the Theatre For Young Audience category, Brendan Hogan’s The Incomplete Works of Willow Baker was celebrated by the judges as “A beautifully crafted exploration of grief, love, memory, and the transformative power of making art. This work is full of real characters that will resonate with audiences.”
“Being recognised by a prestigious award like the Shane and Cathryn Brennan Playwriting Prize is a tremendous honour,” said Hogan.
“It helps to validate my creative voice as a regionally-based playwright and opens doors for greater visibility and opportunities. For an artist writing for young people, this recognition amplifies the impact of my work, allowing me to reach broader audiences and collaborate with new partners, ultimately enhancing both my career and the stories I want to bring to life.”
Playwrights Donna Hughes, Dylan Van Den Berg, Keziah Warner and Kit Brookman were shortlisted across the two categories and will share in the prize pool money. All seven projects will be available to be viewed on AWG’s prestigious Pathways for Playwrights portal.
The Shane & Cathryn Brennan Prize was launched in 2021 to celebrate and reward outstanding achievements in new Australian playwriting. It is made possible by the generous and ongoing philanthropy of Shane and Cathryn Brennan.
STAGE CATEGORY
WINNER
Aurochs by Kathryn Marquet
The way we treat animals and the way we treat each other are inextricably linked: our fates are tied together.
The Future is History by Steve Rodgers
A mother risks everything she has to ensure her daughter has a better life.
SHORTLIST
The Bees Are All Dead by Kit Brookman
A small mammal faces extinction. A dinner party goes awry. Speeches are made in parliament. Someone gets a job. War breaks out. There are rumours of a dragon. Neighbours move in. A child sees something strange. War breaks out again. Thanks are made for relatively good fortune. A democratic decision is reached. Someone sings a song. No one can remember whether or not they saw it all coming. A dark comedy in three parts.
Nightcaps by Keziah Warner
When redundant lecturer Alan’s favourite birds suddenly drop dead, his grief-stricken search for answers suggests a suspicious government plot and Alan falls straight down the rabbit hole into the murky world of conspiracy theories.
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES CATEGORY
WINNER
The Incomplete Works of Willow Baker by Brendan Hogan
In a dying outback town, an irrepressible ten-year-old girl goes on an unbridled creative bender of artistic expression to make sense of her role in her father’s death.
SHORTLIST
Hit Delete by Donna Hughes
Three high school students find themselves trapped in a mobile phone’s recycle bin. As they navigate the digital debris, they must figure out who deleted them before an impending software update deletes them forever.
The Flood by Dylan Van Den Berg
Australia, but not the Australia we know. Water has dried up and sand has engulfed everything. Life exists in a few small towns and the survivors cling onto a fading hope for their redemption: The Flood, a promised rejuvenation of their world.
LuNa by Keziah Warner
LuNa follows the lives of twin sisters Cali and Nira, the world’s first genetically edited humans, depicting a moment from each decade of their lives as they grapple with what it means to be different and humanity’s quest for perfection.
