Introducing Ōtepoti Theatre Lab's Playwrights Programme writers for 2021.
Posted: Monday Jul 19, 2021
Amy Wright graduated at the end of 2018 with her BA (Hons) in Theatre Studies, and has worked as a producer, actor, tutor and stage manager. In Dunedin, she has stage managed for companies including Fortune Theatre, Little Scorpion Productions, afterburner, Arcade and Dunedin Summer Shakespeare. Further from home, she has worked in Australia for Thrones! the Parody Musical at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Sydney Opera House. As a story teller, Amy has performed as part of Arcade Theatre’s Light to Light series and had a section of her play Sweet Girl performed in the 2019 UNESCO Cities of Literature Short Play Festival.
Her play The Bees at the End of the World was selected as one of the ten shortlisted plays for Playmarket’s b4-25 competition in 2020, and her work Henchmen was highly commended in the same competition for 2021.
We look forward to supporting Amy to develop her new work, alongside an exciting team - being crafted as we speak!
*****
With experience in other forms of writing and extensive production work, Martin Swann brings a unique perspective to developing his new piece, led by his time creating audio and visual aspects for the theatre. A recent foray into prose has drawn him to consider script writing and has uncovered a desire to move towards a different path in the production world.
Martin was (coincidentally!) also the recipient of the recent Ōtepoti Writers Lab Commission, with his poem Bent But Not Broken published as part of a collaboration with Verb Wellington.
We look forward to bringing together a stellar team for Martin and sharing the details with you all soon!
*****
A deviser of dance theatre for 25 years, Jessica Latton (Waitaha, Kai Tahu) lives and breathes the arts, and is particularly drawn into the ihi of Waitaha and the contemporary mahi of Southern Maori pushing out of this land. A ‘concealed’ writer of many years, Jessica is wanting to step out of the shadows with her words, and to harness the courage and innovation with which our tupuna moved forward.
Jess' latest collaborations with her company Ake Ake Theatre included Matariki at Olveston and The Guest House, both staged as part of the Puaka Matariki Festival.
We look forward to working with Jess and drawing together a team to support her vision.
Ōtepoti Theatre Lab is possible thanks to support from Creative New Zealand, Dunedin City Council, Playmarket New Zealand, Dunedin Arts Festival, Dunedin Fringe Festival, Inventor's Lab, City of Literature Dunedin, New Zealand and Better Creative Agency