An exciting initiative from Green Oak Theatre shines the light on local playwrights and performers in the bang for your buck, four plays in one experience Play Me Something at Belconnen Theatre on 26-28 September

“I’ve never heard of anyone putting on multiple short plays. I’m sure it’s been done before but we thought it was a great opportunity to showcase writers in Canberra,” says Shaylie Gillies, Producer and Director.

Until now, Green Oak Theatre had produced shows written by Ms Gillies. Wanting to share the limelight, the theatre ran a short play competition from October to March. They selected three originals from the community to accompany Ms Gillies’ new short play.

“We want to only do originals at Green Oak Theatre for as long as we can. I thought short plays were a good opportunity for multiple people to be able to demonstrate their writing talent.”

The panel of four judges worked through the roughly 20 submissions that were accompanied by the name, gender and age of the writer. Ms Gillies says they wanted to reflect a diverse Canberra and give younger authors more grace in their writing skills. Deciding on their final line-up, they ensured they would flow smoothly and let the authors know.

“We discussed together what feedback we would give the people who were unsuccessful to help them understand why they weren’t chosen but also encourage them and give them tips on how to improve their play.”

Play one is a glimpse into the chaos before a production takes to the stage in Int. Theatre. An actor with a penchant for theft, a frazzled makeup artist and anything that can go wrong threatens to do so in this seven-minute comedy.

Following the Acknowledgement of Country, the show ‘begins’ with the second play, Sir Harry vs. The University. This comedy follows a disgraced actor who applies for a job at a university, and upon being refused, believes it to be an act of discrimination. Over the course of 15 minutes, we see the actor and his lawyer work to settle the case.

Preparing the audience for the shift from the light-hearted to the more dramatic section of the evening is a Shakepearan monologue. The third play, written by Ms Gillies and based on the 1966 Aberfan disaster, is the longest of the evening, running for 30 minutes. The writer says she was inspired to write BLAME after watching an episode of The Crown where Queen Elizabeth was criticised for not visiting the site until two weeks after the disaster. This was perceived as a lack of care for the Welsh community and people.

“It drew connections between that event and climate change crisis, in that it’s often bigger companies, people with lots of power and bigger countries causing the problem but it is the layperson or people not in wealthy circumstances that are impacted the most.”

Despite being of Welsh ancestry, Ms Gillies only learned of the Aberfan disaster after watching The Crown. Inspired to challenge herself, she set out to bring the tragedy to the stage in a way that was both respectful and palatable, honouring the victims and their loved ones. BLAME incorporates the Welsh language, hymns, and the strong sense of unity among the Welsh people.

“That event highlights big companies affecting small people and getting away with it because they’ve got the money and the power. A lot of the things that happened in the village were really unfair,” says Ms Gillies.

A song segways to the final play of the evening, The Bridge, a bittersweet goodbye to a family member and the audience. The process of packing away the belongings of the father is lined with memories, tensions, grief and resolution.

Not getting as much stage time as two-act productions and musicals, Ms Gillies says the problem with hosting a short play is that the price tag and effort to produce remains the same. Believing the audience will appreciate the idea behind this production, she hopes they laugh, shed a tear and leave with a bit more appreciation for the short play. 

“I hope people come away thinking that play was seven minutes but I enjoyed it, it had a storyline and characters I was invested in and I wouldn’t mind seeing other short plays as well.”

Dealing with themes of child death, audience discretion is advised.

Enjoy four plays in one with Play Me Something at Belconnen Theatre 26-28 September; greenoaktheatre.org

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