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Stephen Carleton

STEPHEN CARLETON

  
Nationality:    Australian
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    n/a

Stephen Carleton is a Darwin-raised and Brisbane-based practitioner. He is the winner of the 2004/5 Patrick White Playwrights' award with his play 'Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset', which was also shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's award (QTC), and produced by the company in July 2006. In 2007, the play was also nominated for an aWGIe and the Queensland Premier's Literary awards. 'the Narcissist' was nominated in the same category. 'Constance' was also produced by Stablemates at Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney in October, 2006; and Darwin Theatre Company, JUTe (Cairns) and Tropic Sun (Townsville) in 2007. His play 'the Narcissist' played at La Boite Theatre Company in March 2007, and played an extended season at the Sydney Opera House for STC in September 2008. He is co-artistic Director of Knock-em-Down Theatre in Darwin and has written and produced a number of plays and political cabarets for the company over the past ten years, including important collaborations with JUTe, 'surviving Jonah Salt' (2004) and 'the Seven Deadly aussie Sins' (2008). He is also the winner of the 2006 New York New Dramatists' award. Stephen convenes the Drama Major at the University of Queensland.

Research:    http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/254613

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below is a list of Stephen Carleton's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         1975         Bullets With Dragonfly Wings         Bastard Territory         Choking In the Comfort Zone         Constance Drinkwater And the Final Days Of Somerset         Fluid         Forbidden Tongues Whispered In A Night Of Desert Rapture         Gate Crasher, The         Narcissist, The         Pretty Fly (For A Mala Guy)         Seven Deadly Australian Sins         Smells Like Impulse         Surviving Jonah Salt         Turquise Elephant, The

1975

Synopsis:
an epic meloDrama of life lived at the edges of Australian identity that spans 1967 to 2001 in PNG and Darwin all through the eyes of cabaret artiste Russell. exuberant and charming.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
45 Min Segment @ Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, Australia     18 Mar 2011

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bullets With Dragonfly Wings

Synopsis:
an 'in-ya-face' schoolyard Drama. the play deals with bullying, harassment and youth suicide. a Greek chorus narrates us through the lives of eight 'friends' at school, all of whom have to navigate their way through a minefield of issues - self-esteem, self-image, work, peer pressure, drugs, alcohol and boredom - to discover what the really important values in friendship are. Not as grim as it sounds. Variable cast. Could use more than 12.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://Australianplays.org/   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
55 mins Play/Drama music

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Bastard Territory

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Browns Mart Theatre, Darwin, NT     07 May 2014

Organisations:
Co-produced by JUTe (Just Us Theatre ensemble) and Knock 'em Down Theatre, Darwin

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/118991

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Choking In the Comfort Zone

Synopsis:
t is the turn of the millenium and Darwin is enshrouded in a pall of smoke that drifts south from bushfires in Indonesia. a spate of horrific sexual crimes has swept the city. Spiritual, ecological and emotional forces spiral out of control, and collude to create chaos in the northern tropical capital. the violence descends and centres on a group share household, and the fall-out is catastrophic

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://Australianplays.org/   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Full-Length 90 mins Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Constance Drinkwater And the Final Days Of Somerset

Constance Drinkwater And the Final Days Of Somerset
It is 1899 and only the resolve of Lady Constance Drinkwater has kept the Far North Queensland settlement of Somerset from crumbling. Beset by storms, ill-luck and a mysterious disease that has killed all but two of Constance's children, it is the arrival of strangers - anthropologist Professor Cornelius Crabbe and his companion, Mr Hop Lee - that sets in motion the final catastrophic days of Somerset. Stephen Carleton's award-winning new play is a post-colonial meloDrama, hilarious and sad in equal measure, and a proud addition to the growing genre of Australian gothic.

Notes:
Winner of the 2004 Patrick White Playwrights Award

1st Produced:
Bille Brown Studio, Brisbane, QLD     10 Jul 2006

Organisations:
Queensland Theatre Company

1st Published:
Playlab Press, 2007   908156987

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/68721

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Fluid

Synopsis:
Love. loss and betrayal

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Universal Two, Fitzroy, Vic     01 Feb 1995

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Forbidden Tongues Whispered In A Night Of Desert Rapture

Synopsis:
Two young men travelling to Darwin find themselves transformed after an eerie celestial light display in the night sky above the roadhouse they are trapped in. the past catches up with them in a twist that inextricably links them to the roadhouse's hard-bitten proprietor.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
Browns Mart Theatre, Darwin, NT     13 Sep 2001

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://Australianplays.org/   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
25 mins Black comedy with surrealistic elements

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  1            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/work/13541

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Gate Crasher, The

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
part of I Will Kiss You In Four Places. the four plays contained in this collection Are the result of A unique collaboration between Griffith University's Applied theatre Department, Playlab Press And four prominent playwrights, whose brief was simple - the plays could be no longer than 20 minutes And the cast, no fewer than six. Subject matter, up to the playwright. the end result is four stunning theatrical experiments - the lyrical And Apocalyptic 'a Contemporary Hymn' by Linda Hassall, the physical And sophisticated 'Beetle-eyed' by Helen Howard, the gothic And sexy 'the Gate Crasher' by Stephen Carleton, And the exuberant And hilarious 'Never For ever' by Daniel evans

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Playlab Press, Australia   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Narcissist, The

Synopsis:
Xavier is a narcissist. He is a jaded, single, urban professional living in New Farm for whom middle age looms, and the prospects of finding a psychosexually well-adjusted partner are beginning to fade. enter Bronwyn, an equally committed boozy malcontent and his best friend who challenges Xavier to a duel - "Six weeks to bag a man! No ifs, no buts, no limits, no boundaries and no rules!" the gloves are off - whoever scores first, wins. the Narcissist is a riotous and politically incorrect post-modern comedy of manners infused with the joy of popular culture

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
La Boite Theatre Company     01 Mar 2007

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Playlab Press, 2007   978-0908156993

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay, full length

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/78322

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Pretty Fly (For A Mala Guy)

Synopsis:
the ethnically diverse students of an Australian public school must overcome their cultural differences to participate in the school's rock eisteddfod. a surprise intervention from a federal politician ups the stakes for the group, who are determined to subvert their daggy music teacher. Pretty Fly (For a Mala Guy) is the third in a trilogy of plays for secondary students. the other two plays are Smells Like ImPulse and Bullets With Dragonfly Wings. Variable cast with a minimum of 15.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://Australianplays.org/   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
60 min satirical musical

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  12            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Seven Deadly Australian Sins

Synopsis:
It's a wicked world isn't it? We've all been a little wicked at times, it spices up our lives. Luckily, wickedness never goes out of fashion and 7 writers and performers from the furthest corners of the Australian continent have come together to create a carnivalesque cabaret extravaganza exploring just a few of the great sins of the modern world. In a world gone mad, Josh is accused of Un-Australian behaviour - he's a vegetarian at a B-B-Q, so he's off to hell. Workers at a local banana processing factory take greed to its full extent in order to get the best deal from the new work agreement

Notes:
written by Kathryn Ash, Melissa Cantwell, Stephen Carleton, Gail Evans, Robert Jarman, Merrilee Mills and Maryanne Sam

1st Produced:
Jute Theatre, Cairns, Qld     19/2008

Organisations:
Theatre To the Edge Touring Production

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
comedy

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/78533

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Smells Like Impulse

Synopsis:
a deliriously tacky comedy about stereotypes in the schoolyard, embracing self-image and taking control of your own school life. Written for Darwin High School students with lots of local references. Great opportunity for kids to put their own cultural references in. also opportunities for them to choose and play the music, and choreograph the dances

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
http://Australianplays.org/   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
60 min Comedy/Music/dance

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  6            Other:  variable

Further Reference:
-

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Surviving Jonah Salt

Surviving Jonah Salt
Jonah is dumped in the Outback desert by his alcoholic mother. there he runs into three women who each seem bent on sending him mad under the brutal Australian sun. This is a road trip, a mystery, a psychotic folly, a singular account of dying alone.

Notes:
by Kathryn Ash, Stephen Carleton, Gail Evans and Anne Harris

1st Produced:
JUTE Theatre, Cairns, QLD     30 Jul 2004

Organisations:
Co-produced by JUTe (Just Us Theatre ensemble) and Knock 'em Down Theatre, Darwin

1st Published:
(Flutter & Surviving Jonah Salt) Playlab Press, Australia, 2004   0908156820

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/101711

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Turquise Elephant, The

Turquise Elephant, The
Meet Augusta Macquarie: Her Excellency, patron of the arts, formidable matriarch, environmental vandal. Inside her triple-glazed compound, Augusta shields herself from the catastrophic elements, bathing in the classics and campaigning for the reinstatement of global reliance on fossil fuels. Outside, the world lurches from one environmental cataclysm to the next. Meanwhile, her sister, Olympia, thinks the best way to save endangered species is to eat them. Their niece, Basra, is intent on making a differencebut how? Can you save the world one blog at a time?

Notes:
Stephen Carletons shockingly black, black, black political farce won the 2015 Griffin Award. Its urgent, contemporary and perilously close to being real.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Griffin Theatre Company

1st Published:
Currency Press, Australia (2016) >>>    978-1-92500-574-5

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
political farce

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  4            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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