'Shop AI' wins Flash Festival competition
The short play Shop AI has won the Flash Festival ahead of five others at Woy Woy Little Theatre, performed over the weekend of September 20-22.
Shop AI also won an award for its writer Jenna Arnold for Best Unpublished Play, and was The People's Pick.
Professional writer, actor and drama lecturer Mr Carl Caulfield watched and adjudicated the performances.
Earlier in the year, he facilitated Flash workshops for writers, actors and directors.
He said he had read all the plays before coming to watch them and wondered how they would be interpreted by the directors and cast members.
He said he was "delighted at the great evening of entertainment".
"It was first class."
He awarded the Best Production award to Shop AI "for clever direction and tight ensemble work".
The Wunder of You was runner-up "for bold and surprising choices by the actors and director".
Its writer Sal Bartley won the award for Best Use of the 2024 Theme of Wonder, "for weaving it through the script both explicitly and implicitly".
Cast member Louise Sullivan won Best Actor "for being so relaxed inside the role but delivering a combination of comedic timing and emotion".
Fellow cast member Jake Cain-Roser was Best Actor runner-up "for intensity and surprising choices and range".
Mr Caulfield awarded the Judge's Special Award to actor Sue Kemp "for delivering a reflective and (without being patronising) lovely, sweet and sensitive performance" in A Place in Time.
Six short plays were performed at the festival, selected from more than 20 script submissions.
They were the Wonder of Christmas, A Place in Time, The Wunder of You, Shop AI, The Waiting Room and Balance and Perspective
The Wonder of Christmas was written by David Crewe, directed by Mark Austin, with a cast of Amanda Benson, Micheal Sheather, Stephen McLaren and Angie Chase.
A Place in Time was written by Jake Cain-Roser, directed by Gordon Crawford, with a cast of Samara Dawson, Sue Kemp and Julia Telling.
The Wunder of You was written by Sally Bartley, directed by Natahnee Vetch, with a cast of Jake Cain-Roser and Louise Sullivan.
Shop AI was written by Jenna Arnold, directed by Eden McGilchrist, with a cast of Frank Wiffen, Michelle King, Takara Markwell and Trudi Slaven.
The Waiting Room was written by Trudi Slaven, directed by David Crewe, with Jessica Stanfield, Yvonne Berry-Porter and Vicki Sidoti.
Balance and Perspective was written by Scott Goodacre, directed by Terry Matthews, with a cast of Daz Knight and Donna Cromer.
Woy Woy Little Theatre president Ms Christine Vale said that behind the scenes were a team of members.
They included backstage:Lucia Mandile and Bob Farmer, stage manager Fran Armstrong, lighting and sound Lloyd Grounds and Flash convenor Graham Vale.
SOURCE:
Social media, 23 Sep 2024
Woy Woy Little Theatre