Dear Australia

Dear Australia

DEAR AUSTRALIA: 50 PLAYWRIGHTS SEND POSTCARDS TO THE NATION

50 fearless and inspiring short works from some of Australia’s best playwrights will be simultaneously livestreamed by more than 30 performing arts organisations from across Australia between the 2-5 July.

At a time when a pandemic has forced reflection and change, 50 playwrights have responded to questions that get to the heart of where our nation is and where it might go.

These stories are postcards addressed to Dear Australia.

Playwriting Australia (PWA) invited 25 theatre organisations from across Australia to each nominate two playwrights. PWA then commissioned these 50 playwrights to each write a short monologue, which were then filmed by 50 extraordinary actors, many in their own homes.

Grouped over three nights, these 50 postcards are a unique account of these times and a striking moment of national celebration and reflection.

A Dear Australia panel discussion will be broadcast from the Joan Sutherland Theatre by the Sydney Opera House on Saturday 4 July at 7pm AEST as part of its Digital Season.

The scripts of the Dear Australia monologues will published by Australian Plays and will be available Monday 6 July on their website.

Dear Australia livestreams over three nights on multiple Facebook pages and on Playwriting Australia’s YouTube channel.

Thurs 2 July and Fri 3 July
7pm (NSW, Vic, Qld, Tas, ACT)
6.30pm (SA, NT)
5pm (WA)

Sun 5 July
5pm (NSW, Vic, Qld, Tas, ACT)
4.30pm (SA, NT)
3pm (WA)

The playwright-performer line-up:

Nakkiah Lui with Miranda Tapsell
Elena Carapetis with Elena Carapetis
Ellen van Neerven with Elaine Crombie
Sam Nerida with Helen Thomson
Claire Christian with Megan Wilding
Morgan Rose with Emily Goddard
Dan Giovannoni with James Majoos
Bumpy Favell with Jessica Window
Diane Stubbings with Jennifer Hagan
Mark Rogers with Steve Rodgers
Emele Ugavule with Anthony Taufa
Ross Mueller with Marco Chiappi
Eric Gardiner with Kevin Hofbauer
Finegan Kruckemeyer with Glenn Hazeldine
Anchuli Felicia King with Catherine Văn-Davies
Bjorn Stewart with Bjorn Stewart
Mary Anne Butler with Roxanne McDonald
Glenn Shea with Kelton Pell
Jada Alberts with Tasma Walton
Stephen Carleton with Belinda Giblin
Chris Beckey with Mémé Thorne
Aanisa Vylet with Alaa Sukkarieh
Merlynn Tong with Fiona Choi
Brendan Hogan with Connor David Skillicorn
Tasnim Hossain with Arka Das
Catherine McKinnon with Jane Phegan
James Taylor with Kyle Morrison
Kathryn Marquet with John Batchelor
James Elazzi with Sam Khatib
Kathryn Ash with James Frencheville
Rachael Chisholm with Shaka Cook
Julianne O’Brien with Greg Stone
Peter Cook with Stephen Phillips
Susan Rogers with Peter Carroll
H Lawrence Sumner with Shakira Clanton
Donna Abela with Helana Sawires
Barbara Hostalek with Rayma Morrison
Gretel Vella with Harriet Gordon Anderson
Liv Satchell with Belinda McClory
Lucy Combe with Kate O’Reilly
Janis Balodis with Jacek Koman
Suzie Miller with Emma Jackson
Kylie Coolwell with Angeline Penrith
Nathan Maynard with Richard Green
Matt Hawkins with Pontsho Nthupi
Willoh S Weiland with Kris McQuade (Puppet by Noah Casey)
Tariro Mavondo with Carly Sheppard
Kamarra Bell-Wykes with Danielle Cormack
Future D Fidel with Pacharo Mzembe
Richard Frankland with Jack Thompson