Short+Sweet Theatre is a ten minute play festival. Thirty ten minute plays, more than half written by playwrights from Canberra and the Capital Region, are produced and performed by local performing artists each year.

Come along to see Canberra’s creatives at their best. Professional writers, directors and actors take their place alongside our enthusiastic and talented amateurs to impress the judges and their mums.

Thousands of plays are submitted to Short+Sweet each year. Short+Sweet Canberra showcases the best local writing and the best writing from around the world in two heats and a bunch of wild cards.

And the best thing is, if you don’t like what you’re seeing you never have to wait more than 10 minutes for the next play to start!

There’s something for everyone in Short+Sweet, so don’t miss your chance to be part of the biggest little festival in the world!

Top 20 Week 1 Program

The Ice Age

Written by Sue Clennell and directed by Erin Foote

Featuring: Kate Rankine and Dairinn Bannister

What time is it? Is it time for him to come? An innocent conversation turns into a violent and alarming one. It beckons the terrifying idea that perhaps an Ice Age is safer than the current circumstances that face their reality.

Fighting Mr Right written by Barbara Lindsay and directed by Daniel Berthon

Featuring: Christopher Ritchie and Kate

Fighting Mr Right is a comedy that takes place at Marla’s apartment after she and Joel have been on a date, however Marla is tired of boyfriends being fickle and challenges Joel to three arguments.

Waiting For Go written by Elspeth Tilley and directed by Ben Harris

Featuring: Samuel Bruce and Ben Harris

If the purpose of art is to make us pause and see the world differently, what is the purpose of the roadworkers who have been stationed outside your front gate for eight weeks now?

Mime of Steel by Child Players ACT directed by Kitty Malam and Nick Anyos

Featuring: Oliver Durbridge, Katie Golding, Zoe Swan, Asheligh Butler, Emily Joe, Emily Pogson, Katie Kavanagh, Chido Nyakuengama and Natasha Brittain

A rivalry between two mimes leads them to using their powers for good and for evil.

Bread Lombard Shenanigans written and directed by John Lombard

Featuring: Michaela Ripper, Brenton Andrew and John Lombard

A lesson on the right way to make bread — with love.

Sex NewEx Collective written and directed by Cara Irvine and Brendan Kelly

Featuring: Cara Irvine and Brendan Kelly

Sex connects us, its breaks us. Sex envelops us, it blinds us. Sex entices us, it manipulates us. Sex changes us.

Red Wire, Blue Wire written by Albert Jamae directed by Arne Sjostedt

Featuring: Olivia Hropic, Luke Atchison and Nick Steain

Trish has a bomb tied to her with ten minutes left on the clock. Marty from the bomb disposal unit attempts to disarm it, but all Trish can do is complain about the coffee.

Slow Dating Footprint Theatre Inc. written by Adam Szudrich directed by Lis Shelley

Featuring: Penelope Hunt

An elderly woman spends the night with a charming stranger and finally realises the heartbreaking decision she must make.

The Etiquette of Hugs GriffinSaid written and directed by Laura Griffin

Featuring: Michaela Ripper, Ben Crowley and Lucy Hutchens

Ava and Lilly meet in a toilet line at 2am. Ava needs to chat to distract herself from peeing. Lilly is good at humouring people. This little chance encounter leads to deeper discussions of how we’re more connected than ever and yet, so lonely.

It’s All the Rage written by Carl J. Sorheim directed by Chris Baldock

Featuring: Nick Steain

Alex is 22. He’s a pretty good skateboarder. He wears hoodies. They’re all the rage. He likes this waitress. Deep brown eyes. The way she pushes her glasses up her nose. He’s pretty sure she hasn’t noticed him watching…

Wildcards

Cat by Child Players ACT directed by Kitty Malam and Nick Anyos

Featuring: Ben Hardy, Chloe Halley and Nick Watson

Amid reports of a missing fox socks, hospitalised elephants hearing imaginary voices and dodgy green eggs and ham a Cat arrives at the home of two bored kids.

The Assignment written by Greg Gould directed by Philip Meddows

Featuring: Dec Hastings, Judith Peterson and Marié Strazdins

3 University students battle the war of procrastination with the hope of handing in an assignment at the last minute.

Family Play Drama Stars Academy written by Larry Larkin directed by Donna Larkin

Featuring: Kieran Larkin, Katy Larkin, Anthony Popov and Cameron Butler

The play is set in the dining room of a typical modern day family with two online teenage children, a hard working mother and a slightly embarrassing father.

What is it now, Brain? Lombard Shenanigans written and directed by John Lombard

Featuring: Brendan Kelly, Morgan Heath-Williams and Michaela Ripper

A guy is on a date with a girl and he forgets her name. His brain offers to tell him, but only if he orders an ice cream. This sets off a hostage situation where his brain makes a series of escalating demands and he has to try to appear normal so he doesn't scare off the girl.

A Very Brief Encounter written by Suzy Wilds and directed by Ben Harris

Featuring: Rachel Hogan and Helen Way

One airport, two women meet, an unexpected reunion.

Keep Calm and Panic Rebus Theatre directed by Robin Davidson

Featuring: Ben Drysdale and Cara Jean

Curious and comical cameos of coping.

The Bridge written by Jayaprakash Kulur directed by Sreejith Gangadharan

Featuring: Sreejith Gangadharan and Nithin Balakrishnan

A chance encounter of two strangers at a bridge progresses into an eventful journey, where the privileged is disempowered.

The Supermarket AllyCat Productions written by Chris Naylor directed by Arne Sjostedt

Featuring: Peter Fock and Judith Peterson

Peter doesn’t like going shopping and will make any excuse not to, in his imagination, such as having been attacked by a herd of buffalo or being held hostage on the planet Zirkon. But to no avail. Abbey enlists him on a shopping expedition that turns into a bit of a nightmare.

Top 20 Week 2 Program

The Lighting Was Wonderful written by Harriet Elvin directed by Lynn Petersen

Featuring: Laura Griffin, Nick Steain, Heidi Silberman, Benjamin Crowley and Anne Murn

A new theatre critic brings her boyfriend to a show. Lucky she has a cheat sheet.

Stargazers Blemish Productions written by Greg Gould directed by Arne Sjostedt

Featuring: Austen Sanders, Jaslyn Mairs and Peter Fock

Two teenagers, Denny and Becky, are enjoying a romantic evening under the stars when they are rudely interrupted by Denny’s father, the nutty professor Dr Ludwig. Now Denny has a decision to make; a decision that could be out of this world.

The Key UpForIt Theatre Company written by Pete Malicki directed by Tom Richards

Featuring: Jay Duncan

A man wants to surprise his ‘girlfriend’ with a special meal. Oh she is surprised alright.

Floss written by John Tillbrook directed by Paul Jackson

Featuring: Christine D’Rozario, Daniel Greiss and Felicity Knott

Love is a tender flower. Can it survive a clash with an elemental force such as lust.

The Lady and ‘The Tyger’, or William Blake’s ‘How I Met Your Mother’  written by Trace Crawford directed by Christopher Samuel Carroll

Featuring: Linda Chen and Russell Nash

Skip the small-talk. Finding a connection of true spirits demands risk: to pounce like a tiger, to dare to seize the fire – or more practically speaking, to create a public spectacle on a park bench. A cautionary tale about reading poetry in public, and an ode to the strangeness of strangers.

Brexit Budding Theatre written and directed by Kirsty Budding

Featuring: Amelia Green, Adele Lewin, Kaivu Suvarna and Michael Ubrihien

An argument at a bus stop on the day of the EU Referendum exposes class warfare and personal tragedy…

Always the Bridesmaid E13 Productions written and directed by Nigel Palfreman

Featuring: Jessica Gowing

Vicky walks home the morning after the night before and contemplates her life.

War/Kiss written by Alex Broun directed by Lynn Petersen

Featuring: Katrin Praseli and Samuel Bruce

In one moment everything can be found, or lost, in a kiss.

Helpless written and directed by Dan Holliday

Featuring: Dan Holliday

The anguish and ache of guilt unforgiven, and the hope and freedom of guilt released. The play is underpinned emotionally and supported dramatically by the Neil Young song ‘Helpless’.

Staying Alive by St Edmund’s College written by Patrick Mortlock directed by Bertram O’Brien

Featuring: Bertram O’Brien, Patrick Mortlock, Callum Brown, Austen Sanders, James Rainey, Lachlan Bellas and Tom Stonehouse

The incompetence of these medical professionals can be matched only by the incompetence of the performers playing them.