Sweet Inspiration For Emerging Melbourne Playwright

Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) December 30, 2005

Herald-Sun Theatre correspondent Shaunagh O'Connor interviews Melbourne playwright Sean McIntyre to pickup the inside story on how he turned a real life adventure to his theatrical debut as a playwright at the prestigious Melbourne Arts Centre:

Damn that 'Wolf Creek' movie with its references to hitchhikers and spooky happenings on the highway.

Sean McIntyre got there first. At least, his version of the road movie had been hitching around his brain cells since a trip to Ireland in 1997.

And the budding playwright has turned his trip from Dublin to Belfast into 'The Pickup', a 10 minute thriller for the stage featuring The Driver -- unnamed and not quite trustworthy -- and a couple of young travelers, Felix and Norman.

And there's a reason the play is 10 minutes long -- not nine, not 11. Entries to Melbourne's debut Short and Sweet festival and competition had to be 10 minutes or under.

"Ten minutes, 30 seconds and you were out", McIntyre says.

Almost 1000 scripts were submitted from around the world and 60 finalist plays were selected.

McIntyre, a Melbourne writer, and by day a Media and Communications consultant working in business development, made the cut with the first play he'd ever written -- with a little help from his days in amateur theatre.

"I had an idea of how actors move around the stage and a gut feeling for it all rather than a trained knowledge," he says.

'The Pickup' could pickup $2 500 for McIntyre. Writing, acting and production categories are all up for prizes as part of the competition.

The Melbourne version of Short and Sweet is the city's take on a Sydney festival that has been around for four years. Similar festivals and competitions are held around the world.

"A lot of industry people will be there," McIntyre says. "Ideally, one will come up and say they like what they see and ask me to have a chat, or meet some of my peers."

Watching a lot of 10 minute plays is "like channel surfing, but in the theatre", he says. He'd like to try his hand at writing more short pieces before launching into a full-length play.

Rather than pulling his hair out at the thought of building a whole character in only 10 minutes, actor Keir Saltmarsh, who plays The Driver, is relishing it.

"As an actor you have plenty of time to do preparation, so this involves the whole history of the character," Saltmarsh says.

"The best part about 10 minutes is you have the opportunity to hit the mark a lot more readily."

And for the audiences who are watching?

"It's like an acting version of speed dating," Saltmarsh says.

'The Pickup'
Short and Sweet Top 30
World Premiere Wed 30th November - Sat 3rd December 2005

Felix and Norman need to Belfast - quick. A car approaches and they get in. 359 day. 16 countries. 2 mates. 1 Irish stranger. Is this the last ride?

Writer: Sean McIntyre
Director: Caroline Stacey
Cast:     Keir Saltmarsh -- The Driver
         Barry Young     -- Norman
         Calum McClure -- Felix

SHORT AND SWEET (http://www.shortandsweet.org)
Where: Black Box Theatre, Melbourne Arts Centre, until Dec 10
Awards Night: Dec 11
Tickets: $10 - $24
Bookings: 1300 136 166

Sean McIntyre was interviwed By Theatre Correspondent Shaunagh O'Connor
Herald-Sun (Melbourne, Australia), Monday November 28 2005, p92
http://www.news.com.au

Sean McIntyre
Wise Words Media
Media and Communications Solutions
ABN 60 363 406 503
M: 0011 61 0413 397 441
e: sean.mcintyre AT wisewords.com.au
skype: sean.wise.words.media
W: http://www.wisewords.com.au
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