History of the Competition
One of the foundation members of Noosa Arts Theatre, Val Warren, very enthusiastically suggested the inauguration of a One-Act Playwriting Competition for residents of the Sunshine Coast—the three finalist plays to be staged. The year was 1978. The winning author would receive the “Noosa Arts Trophy” awarded to the play chosen by audience vote at each performance. Nancy Cato’s Travellers Through The Night was the first winner and heads the Awards Board in the theatre foyer. In 1979 Nancy Cato donated a $50 award to be added to the Noosa Arts Trophy for the winning playwright. The other two finalists received $25 each from Noosa Arts. In 1981 the Honours Board was made for the theatre foyer. Winners were now listed on this board (instead of an individual trophy) and still received the $50 from Nancy Cato.
From 1983 the One-Act Playwriting Competition went ‘National’—one of the conditions imposed by the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the grant of $500 for the winning playwright, along with the Noosa Arts prizes of $75, $50, $25 awarded by Audience Vote over the 3 nights. From this year until the mid 1990s, an independent adjudicator judged the Best Written Play from a short-list decided by a reading panel of theatre members.
The following year the $500 prize money was donated by Noosa Arts Theatre.
From 1986 Noosa Shire Council sponsored the prize money and the Sunshine Coast Council has continued in a sponsorship role. Currently, Macquarie Private Wealth is the major sponsor and during the 2011 awards presentation, it was announced that the sponsorship would increase to $3,500. From 2012 the Best Play author will receive $3,000; the other two finalist will receive $2,000 or $1,000 from Macquarie Private Wealth and Noosa Arts Theatre Inc.
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The 1994 Opening Night of the One-Act Play Festival
Nancy Cato, Ian Austin and Bronnie Norman (Nancy's daughter)
authors of three of the Competition plays published by Playlab Press
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We would like to acknowledge the work of founding members Val Warren, Marea Brown, Nancy Cato, Joan Cubis, Marjorie Harrold, and Gwen Oswell who had the foresight to instigate this event to support new playwrights.
Since 2000, the Nancy Cato Audience Choice Award winners and selected Best Play winners have been offered publishing contracts, for Performance Rights or more information about these winning plays, contact:
| Previous Winners |
| Best Play |
Audience Choice
Nancy Cato Award
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| 1978 Travellers Through the Night - Nancy Cato
1979 Island Sanctuary - George Smith
1980 The Generation Gap - Emma Freeman
1981 That Special Day - Emma Freeman
1982 Up With the Larks - Emma Freeman
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1983 A Day in the Life of Norman - Pamela McManus
1984 Nineteen Eighty-Three - Bronley Norman
1985 For Richer for Poorer - Mona Brand
1986 Call of the Gypsy - Ian Austin
1987 We Need Shadows Too - Adrian Zupp
1988 Ingrid’s Kids - Ann Whitehead
1989 A Goat Song - Mary-Ann Baartz,
1990 The Inquiry - Heather Jones
1991 Tinsel & Ashes - Anna Maria Dell’oso
1992 F’Lack o’ Felucca - Ian Austin
1993 A Message To Magda - Patricia Harris
1994 Travellers - Bronley Norman
1995 Out on a Limb - John Burls
1996 Actors Equity - Allan Kelley
1997 Five Candles for Danny - Yvonne Old
1998 The Casemoth - Yvonne Old
1999 Welcome Home - Carrolline Rhodes
2000 Tears in the Eye of the Storm - Carrolline Rhodes
2001 Waiting to Happen - Andrea Baldwin
2002 Footsteps In The River - Michael Olsen
2003 Between Floors - Nerina Smith
2004 Three Chairs - Roger Gimblett
2005 Love or Nearest Offer - Hugh O’Brien
2006 Man of Snow - Cerise de Gelder
2007 Love and Other Flushes - Hugh O’Brien
2008 Decline and Hall - Roger Gimblett
2009 Outside the Window - Xavier Toby
2010 God Willing - Bruce Olive
2011 Nothing - Mark Langham
2012 Here's the Thing... - Debra Chalmers
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1983 A Day in the Life of Norman - Pamela McManus
1984 Nineteen Eighty-Three - Bronley Norman
1985 For Richer for Poorer - Mona Brand
1986 A Game of Chance - Bronley Norman
1987 Leap Year - Allan Curtis
1988 Parting Shot - Dennis Davison
1989 The Fourth Take - Shirley Friend
1990 A Visitor - Sharon Guest
1991 A Message From the Gods - David Stevens
1992 F’ Lack o’ Felucca - Ian Austin
1993 What We Need is a Golf Course - Ron Drake
1994 Barney - John Burls
1995 Out on a Limb - John Burls
1996 The Thief - Jeff Nolan
1997 Five Candles for Danny - Yvonne Old
1998 The Dream - John Bennett
1999 A Thief in the Night - Ron Drake
2000 Bombshells - Jane Tara
2001 Two Women and a Chair - Michael Olsen
2002 Making Allowances - Carrolline Rhodes
2003 All My Love, Paul - Alan Mackay
2004 Three Chairs - Roger Gimblett
2005 Love Or Nearest Offer - Hugh O’Brien
2006 Man Of Snow - Cerise de Gelder
2007 Love and Other Flushes - Hugh O’Brien
2008 The Euolgy - John Cundill
2009 Outside the Window - Xavier Toby
2010 Tudo Ou Nada - Frank Wilkie
2011 The Knock on the Door - Bruce Olive
2012 Here's the Thing... - Debra Chalmers
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