Cosmic Players - About Us - An Emerging Australian Playwright

PLAYWRIGHT

Playwright Darren Brealey is the author of several plays, short film scripts, monologues and short stories. His book, Performing The Goat, A Collection Of One-Act Plays, was published in June 2006. ISBN 1 84401 503 3

Brealey first came to public attention in 1996 when his play, The Meeting Place was produced during the Melbourne Fringe Festival. In 1998, Brealey’s next full-length work, Three Shorts was produced at Melbourne’s Workhouse Theatre. Performing The Goat followed in 1999 containing three one-act plays, as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. In the 2005 Melbourne Fringe Festival he co-wrote with friend, Stuart Pursell and produced Comfort Zone.

Penniless Penny a one-act play was produced by Walking Into Bars as part of the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Also, 2008 saw Brealey’s one-act plays, Disturbing Mavis and The Mechanics produced in Singapore as part of the Short and Sweet Singapore 2008 Festival; Disturbing Mavis winning the People’s Choice Award in Top 30 Week 1 section. Spring was produced in Malaysia as part of the Short and Sweet Malaysia 2008 Festival. In September, Shattered Reflection opened on Wednesday 24th at the Guild Theatre as part of the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Brealey learnt drama from the age of six with Arena Theatre and first appeared on stage at the Palais Theatre in St. Kilda, when he was ten, in the 1980 Gang Show. In addition to his training in theatre, he studied writing at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School. (AFTRS). In August 2004, Brealey attended the Robert McKee, ‘Story Seminar’, claimed to be the world’s ultimate writing course taught by Hollywood’s master of the craft.

The Meeting Place was a critical and public success: “The Meeting Place was a simple even old fashioned story of family and loss. I rarely cry in the theatre - at least for emotional reasons - but there I was enjoying some new talent. And I was bawling, with the joy of it and of the magic of a good yarn well put, the tears running down my cheeks like a bloody baby.” ( Ralph McLean - 3RRR). Brealey won a Special Recommendation Award for The Meeting Place in the Melbourne Fringe Performance Art Awards.

Three Shorts comprised of three self-contained plays: ‘Disturbing Mavis’, ‘The Stair’ and ‘Champagne Ladies’. Once again, critical and public reaction to the work was favourable, with ‘Champagne Ladies’ singled out for particular praise: “With Three Shorts, Darren Brealey has written an eclectic mixture of observations that manage, somehow, to connect … with the satirical ‘Champagne Ladies’ definitely my favourite” ( Stage Whispers).

Performing The Goat was a strong production and gained a positive audience reaction and critical comment confirmed Brealey’s ability to create realistic, original characterisations and dialogue: “Darren Brealey delivers four humorous and often terrifyingly accurate portrayals … four short plays that capture colloquial Aussie stereotypes and presents them with hilarious accuracy” ( Buzz Cuts).

Comfort Zone, co-written with friend Stuart Pursell was proven by its audience appreciation, the production received critical acclaim: “Comfort Zone has delivered a rare piece of new theatre that is hilariously self referential and thematically bold” ( BNews) ... more