Short + Sweet is a well-established global short theatre festival now celebrating its 23rd Sydney season. Under the dynamic leadership of new director Ali Bendall and based at the Turner Hall in Ultimo TAFE, it runs as a three-month long competition.
Over several weeks of heats (including a Pride-themed week on 20-23 February, a youth focus on 9-12 March, a Shakespeare-inspired week followed by a cabaret week) the audience vote for their top two plays to winnow the acts down for the Gala Finals finishing on 18 May.
A full house of well-wishers packed the makeshift theatre space on Saturday night. Twelve 10-minute plays in two acts gave us drama, dialogue, pathos, caricature and comedy. Most plays were two- or three-handers. Sets were minimal with some actors simply sitting on chairs and speaking or, in one case, hiding from a zombie behind a couch covered with a sheet.
Perhaps six of the plays have potential (keep in mind that this was a heat), but others need work. Malfunctioning lighting and poor voice projection by many actors were an impediment.Â
Actors Henry Summerton and Poppy Cozens told the first of several Sydney in-jokes about Newtown (creatives’ inner-west suburb of choice) and how it outranks Enmore in one of the better pieces, There is a Zombie in the Garden, Frank! The zombie threat activated a plot that cleverly framed the real nub of the story, the couple’s faltering relationship.Â
Another comedy was Dating App Cr-app where a duo reconnects on a dating app. The star of the act was Roy Wallace-Cant who popped up and down to play a variety of cringeworthy Romeos.
The opener, How Could You?, written and acted by Gregory J Thorsby with Tida Dhanommitrapap, explored marriage breakdown through farce and affection. Polished and choreographed, it used visual as well as verbal and musical humour to capture the audience.
Dream Job, directed by Nathan Burland and written and acted by James Kehoe with actors Jacqui Bramwell and David Jensen, elevated the ubiquitous dream trope into the unexpected when the controller of ‘all the dreams in Sydney’ froze amorous Brett’s expression into a grimace before igniting his own lively and perceptive dalliance with Stella. Their mention of Newtown drew a big laugh from the audience.
Identity Crisis, written by Robert Luxford, directed by Melissa Paris and acted by Robin Queree and Scott Clarke, tackled the theme of identity with slick repartee and comic timing.
Another piece with a strong message was Megan, written by Allan Staples and directed by Kai Paynter. Told seriously rather than with humour, it featured actors Alex Baum and, in particular, Rhett Wilks conversing authentically and with degrees of angst about a deceased partner. This was the darkest piece of the evening and felt like a scene from a full-length play.Â
The final piece, Stamp, Stop, Step, written and directed by Frank Leggett and performed by Debbie Westaway was the highlight of the heat. Demonstrating her skills in song and dance, Westaway pirouetted, hip-hopped, line-danced and tangoed across the stage. Her interwoven narrative had her playing two roles to reveal the violence of her ‘sugar daddy’. What happened next brought the house down.
Read: Theatre review: POTUS, fortyfivedownstairs
Independent theatre like Short + Sweet builds community and is a safe platform for emerging and amateur actors, writers and directors. The festival should peak by the finals.
Short + Sweet Sydney Theatre Festival
Turner Hall
Festival Director: Ali Bendall
Short+Sweet will be performed until 18 May 2025, with different plays and actors.
