THE SILVER GULL PLAY AWARD 2025

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

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

Each script was assessed several times. The identity of the writers was kept anonymous from the judges, so the shortlist truly reflects a determination made solely on merit.

After much 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 merit 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 Thomson
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.

Winner revealed Mon 13 Oct! Celebrate at our official awards night with rehearsed readings from the shortlisted plays. Book below to secure your free ticket—open to all.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE