STC has a proud heritage as a creative hub and incubator for Australian theatre-makers. Through a number of different programs, they provide professional development opportunities, access to key personnel and resources, and encouragement and support of emerging talent in the industry. We supported Rough Drafts between 2019 and 2021.
Rough Drafts are week-long creative developments that give playwrights, directors or ‘makers’ the opportunity to try out new ideas. The artists are given a week with a director and/or dramaturge in a rehearsal room to work on an existing early draft of a script, or to generate scenes in collaboration with performers.
Rough Drafts are scheduled at the beginning of each year but projects are generally not assigned to the slots until a couple of months before they happen. This allows the STC to respond to projects or artists that come to their attention during the year. Whilst Rough Drafts are open to all theatre practitioners, STC is increasingly starting to use the program to encourage emerging and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) artists. Historically there have been few CALD artists working in in the field of theatre, many who STC identifies from theses backgrounds are relatively inexperienced. Rough Drafts provide an ideal safe space to build relationships with these artists while assisting them to develop a piece of theatre and their professional skills.
Generally, each Rough Draft culminates in a free, one-off public showing. This provides the artists with a test audience, showcases their work. Often the projects that STC does not pursue are picked up by other companies.
2018
#37 Meat Eaters by Lewis Treston (premiered in 2019 at NIDA)
#38 Wonanngatta by Angus Cerini (Premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Drama Theatre / STC)
#39 Fairy Tales are Really True by The Listies
#40 Triple X by Glace Chase (Premiere in 2020 at QTC / Brisbane, Sydney / STC) – postponed to 2021 due to Covid-19 theatre closures. Performed in Brisbane in 2021, in Sydney in 2022.
2019
#41 Frankenstein by Emme Hoy
#42 Siti Rubiyah by Katrina Irawati Graham
#43 Dead Meat by Natesha Somasundaram
#44 Orange Thrower by Kirsty Marillier (premiered on Griffin Main Stage in 2021) Postponed to March 2022 due to Covid-19.
2020
#45 Chalkface by Angela Betzien (will premier in Adelaide Dunstan Theatre in August 2022, Sydney STC October 2022)
Marriage by Nikolai Gogol adapted by Marieke Hardy
#46 Top Coat by Michelle Law (premiered at STC in July 2022)
#47 Queen Fatima by James Elazzi (premiered at NTofP later in the year)
2021
#48 Hubris and Humiliation by Lewis Trenton (premiered in January 2023 at the STC. Winner Best New Australian Work at the 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards.
#49 Garage Sale by Monikka Eliah
#50 The Australian Offence Force by David Finnigan, Jules Orcullo, Jordan Raskopoulos, Megan Wilding
#51 Curiosity by Daley Rangi
#52 The Pretty Game by Omar Musa