THE SILVER GULL PLAY AWARD 2026
AND THE WINNER IS…
We’re thrilled to announce that the winner of The Silver Gull Play Award for 2026 is Josh Billig with It’s Like That Time Your Sister Handcuffed You to the Stairway and Then Went to School.
The Silver Gull Play Award is an important literary prize for new theatrical writing by a playwright resident in New South Wales or the Australian Capitol Territory. Established in 2015 by subtlenuance theatre, New Theatre became home for the Award in 2020.
Sponsored by Joy Minter, the total prize money for the award is $7000. The winning playwright receives $5000 and the remainder of the prize pool is split evenly between the shortlisted writers.
Now in its twelfth year, the Silver Gull Play Award continues to grow, with a large number of entries received in 2026. Each script is assessed through several rounds, and writers’ identities remain anonymous until after the final decision is made.
On Monday 19 October, in front of an enthusiastic audience, excerpts from the six shortlisted plays were presented by actors Kate Bookillil, Peter Eyers, Barry French, Shan-Ree Tan and Rachel Seeto, directed by Luke Visentin.
Josh Billig received a prize of $5000 and the other shortlisted writers received $500 each, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Joy Minter, who has supported The Silver Gull Play Award since its inception in 2015.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Josh is an internationally produced playwright and screenwriter. He’s the co-writer and co-creator of Dramaworld (Series 1&2, Netflix/Prime), the creator of the short form animated series Tested (currenty in its 5th season), and his debut feature Nod. And Smile. is currently in post production.
He’s written screenplays, children’s television, theatre, video games and comic books. He’s the recipient of the Tennessee Williams Playwriting Award for his play Outside Sitka. His musical, Radio 930 has been workshopped across Sydney and New York, and he’s the co-founder of Danger Tomato Productions. He’s a lecturer in screenwriting at AFTRS and adjunct professor at The David Lynch School of Cinematic Arts.
Original artwork © Michael Tonkin
SUBMISSIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S SILVER GULL PLAY AWARD WILL OPEN IN APRIL 2027
Winners and finalists of The Silver Gull Play Award:
2026
Christ is Back by Laurence Rosier Staines
Good With People by Ross Mueller
It’s Like That Time Your Sister Handcuffed You to the Stairway and Then Went to School by Josh Billig – winner
Relations by Lawrence Parmenter
Thirty West of Heaven by Jack Kearney
2025
The Crypt Dialogues by Peter Fleming
Lavender Sky by Jack Kearney
First, Do No Harm by Grace Malouf
Brief Candle by Simon Thomson
The Vanya Variations by Steven Vidler – winner
2024
6069 and Counting by James Balian and Roger Vickery
Fortress by Erica J. Brennan
Noah’s Arkby Campion Decent
Rehearsing Julie by Noel Hodda
Roslyn Gardens by David McLaughlin
Macaroni and Dead Things by Miranda Michalowski – winner
2023
Next To Godliness by Alastair Brown – winner
Chicken In A Biscuit by Mary Rachel Brown and Jamie Oxenbould
Burning by Christopher Bryant
The Mews by Joanna Erskine
The Dragonfly by Simon Thomson
2022
Inside Out by Christopher Bryant
Fighting by Xavier Coy – winner
God in Space by Jeanette Cronin
Miriam by James Elazzi
2021
Off The Record by Chris Aronsten
Sanctuary by Margaret Davis
Cloudsurfing by John AD Fraser
The Scammer by Wendy Lewis
Fitson and Dan by Mark O’Flynn
The Other End of The Afternoon by Bokkie Robertson – winner
2020
Victim by Jeanette Cronin
God’s Gruesome Shadow on The Wall by Kian Farzam
The Scream by Justin Fleming
Gods and Little Fishes by Jamie Oxenbould and Richard Sydenham – winner
The Park by Simon Thomson
2019
I Damo by Pauline Bleach
The Deal by Kel Vance
Breathless by Deborah Mulhall
Son of Byblos by James Elazzi
Field of Vision by Joanna Erskine – winner
2018
Disinhibition by Christopher Bryant
Alabaster Burning by John AD Fraser
People Inside Me by Katie Pollock
Superheroes by Mark Rogers
Lions and Tigers and Bears by Phillip James Rouse – winner
2017
The Bees Are All Dead by Kit Brookman
Dead Wen by Elias Jamieson Brown
For Unknown Reasons by Zoe Cooper – winner
A Spy in the House of Love by Zoe Hogan
Human Activity by Katie Pollock
The Blackbird and the Whale by Alison Rooke
2016
People Will Think You Don’t Love Me by Joanna Erskine – winner
A Matter of Life and Death by John AD Fraser
The Ink Trail by Louis Klee
This, This Is Mine by Duncan Ragg
I sat and waited but you were gone too long by Olivia Satchell
2015
Between the Streetlight and the Moon by Melita Rowston
Furthest West by Michael Collins
The Block Universe (Or So It Goes) by Sam O’Sullivan
The Last Executioner by Mark Swivel
TickTickBoom by Melissa Lee Speyer – winner