Festival of Australia

Promoting the finest new Australian writing

A celebration of richness and imagination, the National Play Festival is a glorious palette of new Australian stories. Curated from work developed through Playwriting Australia’s core programs, the Play Festival is an explosion of unseen invention for industry and audiences.

Showcase
Over four days we present public readings of a selection of the most dynamic new plays in Australia from our leading artists and freshest new voices.

Public Talks
We ignite the National Play Festival with a provocative exploration of the purpose of art in our wider society and the role of the writer in inventing new lenses to view the world.

Playwrights’ Program
We invite playwrights to masterclasses and gatherings to discover new frontiers in craft and ambition.

Industry Forum
The Play Festival remains a key annual gathering of creatives and producers working with new writing from around the country.

2016 National Play Festival dates:

Location
The Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne

Stay tuned for further announcements about the National Play Festival in 2016!

Past Play Festivals

National Play Festival 2015, Adelaide

Photo credit: Reading of Mortido by Angela Betzien at the National Play Festival 2014. Photo Stephen Godfrey