Masterclass: Playwriting
Discover the art of theatre-making in a one-day masterclass with leading Australian playwrights.
Take a deep dive into the craft, process and industry of theatre-making in this special masterclass presented in partnership by Emerging Writers’ Festival & The Wheeler Centre. A selection of Australia’s most acclaimed playwrights, dramaturgs, directors and producers will convene to share invaluable insights into bringing stories to life on stage, both locally and internationally. Finesse your script, connect with potential collaborators and gain practical advice on navigating the world of theatre.
11am – 12pm
Keynote: Towards a Sustainable Life in the Theatre
Award-winning playwright, composer, director, essayist, novelist and women’s rights advocate DS Magid opens the day with a keynote address reflecting on her expansive career in theatre across Australia and around the globe.
12.15pm – 1.15pm
Panel: Pathways to the Stage
Witness an immersive conversation with theatre-makers Laura Lethlean, Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Isabella Vadiveloo as they explore the challenges and triumphs of their eclectic careers. Through stories of collaboration, experimentation and community-building, they will offer rich insight into what sustains a life in theatre.
2.15pm – 5.15pm
Workshop: Characters in Conversation
Put your script to the test in this limited-capacity workshop with playwright, journalist and rapper Chenturan Aran. Through guided writing exercises and creative prompts, participants will have the opportunity to develop their scripts-in-progress, as well as receive practical tips and advice – a unique chance to explore your play’s early potential in a supportive, collaborative environment.
MASTERCLASS PRESENTERS
DS Magid
Playwright, composer, Broadway performer, director and dramaturg, Magid is a Fellow of both the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico and Women’s International Study Center, a former Board member of International Centre for Women Playwrights, a Cleveland Public Theatre emeritus Artist, and an alumna of the Cleveland Play House (‘America’s first regional theatre’) Playwrights’ Unit. Her work spans diverse genres to rebalance gender inequities, by exploring and rehabilitating perceptions and histories of women. A student in RMIT’s PWE, she’s currently writing novels about an abused Gold Rush-era servant with a unique angle on survival, and a 1960s teenaged film star.
Chenturan Aran
Chenturan Aran is a Naarm-based playwright, journalist, and rapper of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. His darkly comedic work blends real-world interviews with acid-laced, irreverent dialogue, exploring psychology, technology, and the complexities of family and forgiveness. His sold-out play ‘Cut Chilli’ premiered at the Old Fitz in 2024, earning five stars from The Sydney Morning Herald. As a video journalist at SBS, his reporting centres on South Asian Australian stories. He’s also been published in The Age, South Asian Today, and in the memoir anthology ‘Emergence: The 30 Best New Voices’.
Laura Lethlean
Laura is an Australian playwright, librettist and theatre maker. She trained at NIDA, receiving a MFA in Writing for Performance in 2015. Her plays have been commissioned and performed across New Zealand and Australia. Projects include ‘The Space Between the Fuel and the Fire’ (NIDA, 2016), ‘Fading’ (Canberra State Theatre, 2018), ‘Honey’ (The National Drama School, 2021), ‘Pillow Fight’ (Gasworks Arts Park, 2023 & The Hannah Playhouse 2024), ‘Two Hearts’ (KxT 2018, The Butterfly Club 2019 & Flight Path Theatre 2025), ‘The Three Graces’ (Theatre Works, 2019). Her next project is ‘Aphrodite’ (Sydney Chamber Opera, 2025).
Kamarra Bell-Wykes
Kamarra Bell-Wykes (Yagera/Butchulla) is a theatre maker and arts specialist working with major and independant theatre across the country and she co-authored a range of award-winning arts-education resources. Kamarra’s theatre credits include CHASE (A DAYLIGHT CONNECTION/Malthouse/Hot House), A NIGHTIME TRAVESTY (ADC/Yirramboi/AsiaTOPA/Malthouse/Kia Mau) ECLIPSE (Rising) Whose Gonna Love ‘Em? I am that i AM (ADC/FCAC/ILBIJERRI), House Arrest (Yirramboi/Malthouse) A Wake -A Woke Mob (MTC/ILBIJERRI), 37 (MTC), Romeo and Julie (Red Stitch) Because the Night (MALTHOUSE), The Score, Scar Trees, Viral, North West of Nowhere, Body Armour, Chopped Liver, Shrunken Iris (ILBIJERRI), Crying Shame (NEXT WAVE) and Mother’s Tongue (YIRRA YAAKIN ).
Isabella Vadiveloo
Isabella is a Naarm based theatre maker who works across disciplines as a theatre director, devisor and Intimacy director. She has a strong interest in the development of new, form pushing and politically engaged performance. With both settler Australian and Tamil Sri Lankan heritage, Isabella prioritises centring underrepresented stories, often working with physical and body focused practices. Directing credits include Wolf Play (Red Stitch Actors Theatre), Atlantis (Malthouse Theatre), If Needed, Repeat and Unsuckle (La Mama Theatre), Poona (Next Wave Festival), Cybec Electric and First Stage (Melbourne Theatre Company).
TICKETING INFO
Tickets for Masterclass: Filmmaking, presented in partnership by the Emerging Writers’ Festival and Writers Victoria, are now available!
Full Passes are available for the full, in-person event including the Keynote, Panel and Workshop. Full Passes are strictly limited due to capacity limitations for the Workshop portion of the masterclass, get in quick!
Half Passes are available for those wish to attend in-person for the Keynote and Panel. Note, a Half Pass does not include the Workshop which is strictly limited to Full Passes.
Digital Passes are available for those who are unable to attend in-person and includes the Keynote and Panel, streamed digitally.
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