THE SILVER GULL PLAY AWARD 2025

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The Silver Gull Play Award competition this year attracted a record number of entries (75), with an extremely high standard of scripts submitted.

The judging panel read, assessed and discussed each submission multiple times. The identity of the writers was kept anonymous from the judges, so the shortlist truly reflects a determination made on merit, based solely on the quality of the writing.

After a month and a half of deliberation, a shortlist of five plays has been selected. The judges were impressed by how each writer responded to the brief for plays that speak to New Theatre’s ethos of ‘Plays With a Purpose’, and the quality of scripts demonstrates the amazing strength and diversity of playwriting in this country.

The shortlisted plays for The Silver Gull Play Award 2025 are:
The Crypt Dialogues by Peter Fleming
Lavender Sky by Jack Kearney
First, Do No Harm by Grace Malouf
Brief Candle by Simon Thompson
The Vanya Variations by Steven Vidler

The standard was so high this year, that a further two plays were Highly Commended: Hiding Lights in Dark Places by Meg McDonald, and The Bureau of Imagined Genealogy by Zoe Hogan

Congratulations to the shortlisted writers, who will share in a total prize pool of $7000 courtesy of sponsor Joy Minter. We’re looking forward to presenting rehearsed readings of excerpts from the shortlisted plays, directed by Joseph Tanti, at the Awards Night on Monday 13 October, 7pm for 7:30pm, when the winner will be announced.

If you wish to attend the Awards Night, you can book tickets via the button below. This is a free event but reservations are essential. Limit of 2 tickets per patron.

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