You may have heard of the plays Single Asian Female, Prize Fighter and The Mathematics of Longing, but did you know that these wildly successful productions are all the product of HWY? This definitely isn’t your standard festival, folks – legends of stage and future gems are born within the two weeks of the program. Through readings, showings, workshops, masterclasses, conversations, and pitches, attendees are given the opportunity to have a tangible effect on the changing face of Brisbane’s theatre community. Whether it’s a head of industry or a budding playwright, everyone who comes to HWY has a platform to innovate and be heard.
Coming into its third year, the HWY program is organised into jam-packed segments. The Performance Program will prove itself a testing ground for six new Australian plays, one live art experience, and a new theatre work, and the Skills Labs return to teach people a thing or two across production and technical performance. The Pitch Sessions are also making a comeback, so you can watch four artists selling you their brilliant ideas for future classics. La Boite’s 2018 Artists-in-Residence Ngoc Phan and Krissy Kneen are both presenting the latest drafts of their upcoming works during the festival, while Green Room Award recipient Jodee Mundy is facilitating a story-telling masterclass for the deaf community and AUSLAN speakers. This year also kicks off HWY’s inaugural Podcast to be recorded on each Saturday of the event, hosted by La Boite’s brilliant assistant creatives Maddie Nixon, Aleea Monsour and Anna Whitaker.
Ready to get into the fast lane? Full program details and tickets to HWY are available now through La Boite Theatre.