PLAYS PRODUCED IN 2008 THAT WERE READ AT PARNASSUS’ DEN IN 2007

- Men, Love & the Monkey Boy (Winner of the 2007 Mitch Mathews Award) – by Caleb Lewis – produced by Darlinghurst Theatre & Parramatta Riverside Theatres, April 2008

- Hollow Ground – by Nick Parsons – produced by Old Nick Theatre Co ( Tasmania), June 2008

- Colder – by Lachlan Philpott – produced by Stablemates, Griffin Theatre, May 2008

Some of the other successes that writers have had after readings of their work at Parnassus' Den in recent times include:

Mary Rachel Brown
Mary's biting and controversial play "National Security and the Art of Taxidermy", read at PD in 2004 was produced by the Glynn Nicholas Group as part of B-Sharp's 2005 season.

Ron Elisha
Ron's play "Wrongful Life" read at PD in 2004 was produced in Melbourne in 2005 at Chapel on Chapel, directed by Dave Letch.

Caleb Lewis
Caleb's play "Nailed" was read at PD in 2004. The Griffin Theatre Company produced the play as part of its 2005 season later this year starring Tim Draxl and Ursula Yovich.

Rebecca Clarke
"Unspoken" - After a reading in 2004, Rebecca Clake's amazing one woman show was performed in May 2005 to rave reviews at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Sydney

Victoria Thaine
Victoria's play "Jumping and All That " was developed at PD in 2003/4. After its initial reading PD selected it for a next stage development reading which was presented at the NSW Writers Centre in 2004. The play was produced at The Old Fitzroy Theatre in May 2005

Paul Andersen
Parnassus' Den read Paul's magical play of blind love titled "Night Swimming" in April 1996. After redrafting the play and rewriting it as a radio play, "Night Swimming" was the winner of the 2002 AWGIE for writing for radio.

Vanessa O'Neill
Vanessa (one of the Parnassus' Den Writers and Actors) had her play "Happy With Half of Your Life" read at PD in late 2002, performed her play at the Edinburgh Festival in 2003 as well as other seasons in other European centres including Prague. This followed a hugely successful season in Perth. The play was produced in December 2004 as part of Darlinhurst Theatre's IN THE RAW season PD was involved with the early development of the piece. Here's what the critics said:

"This is near perfect piece of monologue theatre" - The Scotsman

**** "Heartfelt and courageous, clever and funny, thought provoking and life affirming" - The Scotsman, August 2002

**** " Engrossing.....elegant.....emotional" - The List

"Scintillating, so bright she could even outshine a mirror ball" - The West Australian

Vanessa Badham
Vanessa is making big waves in the UK. Her play "Camarilla" which was read at Parnassus' Den late in 2002, transferred to the Old Red Lion Theatre in London in October 2003, for a four week season, after a stunning season at the Edinburgh Festival this year. Critics have described her play as:

"Stunning" - The Independent

"Explosive" - The Guardian

"Startling" - The Scotsman

"It would be hard to imagine a more relevant new play" - The Stage

"presents us with some strong writing from a major hand that makes the evening, for the most part, an event in which to rejoice." - Indie London

Jon Williams and Steve Klinder
Jon and Steve's play "Purgatory Down Under" had several readings at Parnassus Den had a sell-out reading by actors John Howard, Tony Martin, Tina Bursill and Jenni Baird at the Sydney Opera House on World Refugee Day 2003.

It transferred to the Old Fitzroy Hotel Theatre for a three week season in July 2003.

"The writing is brilliant. The dialogue sparkles with wit and satirical bite. It's a comedy, but with moments of high drama and true pathos." - Green Left Weekly

Linda Jaivin
Linda, a successful and published writer, had her play "Seeking Djira" originally titled "The Writers" read at Parnassus' Den on 3 June 2002. It was selected for a Parnassus' Den "next stage" reading at the NSW Writer's Centre on 21 March 2003. Subsequent to that it was produced at Fortyfivedownstairs in Melbourne in August in 2003. The critics said:

"Jaivin's writing is racy, direct and wickedly funny."

"The play is enormously enjoyable - a welcome "translation" of a serious and shocking moral issue into the kind of popular currency that might achieve more than any tragic treatment of the subject." - The Age (Melb)

Deborah Mulhall
Deborah's play - "Cry Wolf" which had a reading at Parnassus' Den on 10 February 2003 has been listed with an "honourable mention" in the final 8 of the New York New Plays of Merit Competition. Deborah writes :

"The reading we had in Feb enabled me to do the necessary editing of the play to get it to this point of such honour. Thanks. Deb".

Diana Plater
Diana had her play "Havana Harlem" read at Parnassus' Den on 16 June 2003, had the play workshopped at the 6th Women Playwrights International Conference in Manila in November 2003. The conference brings together hundreds of playwrights from all over the world, and has been held every three years since 1988. It has been to Buffalo, Toronto, Adelaide, Galway, and Athens.

D.B.Valentine
"Howard the Arselicker" by D.B. Valentine was read at PD early in 2004. A biting political satire designed to be performed at the time of the federal election, "Howard The Arselicker" was produced at the Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre, Sydney closing on election night itself.

Brenda Gottsche
After its reading at PD in 2003, Brenda travelled to the UK and had her play "The Fulham Jesus" performed in a season of pub theatre in London. "The Fulham Jesus" has been allocated a season at the SBW StablesTheatre, Sydney in December 2004.

Angus Strachan
Angus had his short play "Tea" read at PD in 1997. A subsequent draft was submitted to the "Short and Sweet" festival in 2003 held at the Newtown Theatre in Sydney. "Tea" was selected as one of the finalists in the festival and won the award for best actress. The the play itself was picked up by the festival and is being produced as part of the "best-of" season of short plays touring in Melbourne and transferring to the Sydney Opera House studio in December 2004.