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2023 - Shortlisted

Shortlisted

Judges' Comments

This debut play announces a playwright of unusual talent. The story concerns a young woman, Nina, who finds herself in a Darwin public hospital after her waters have broken, 23 weeks into her pregnancy. She is paralysed by indecision. Reality bends, and Nina is surrounded by memories and ghosts, including the apparition of her mother as a young woman, searching for forgiveness, and that of her best friend dreaming of an alternative future. These imaginings comfort and confront. 

The writing is visceral and vital, sometimes even brutal, but always with humour and hope. The play cuts through conventional understandings of motherhood to offer something deeply personal and heartbreakingly honest. It is an important addition to the repertoire and signals a writer to watch.