Cybec Electric

Overview

Each year the Melbourne Theatre Company presents a series of semi-staged readings of new plays by Australian writers — an opportunity for a fresh crop of five playwrights to develop their work, and a great chance for local audiences to experience new performance writing on the cheap (a mere $10, or $5 for under 30s). 2014 is no exception.

As 'semi-staged readings' the actors often have scripts in hand, and the focus is on refining the writing in front of a live audience rather than expecting a perfect, polished performance. Make sure to check out Declan Greene’s thoroughly un-Googleable 8GB of Hardcore Pornography – it’s receiving its premiere in Sydney later this year but its Cybec outing will have to tide Melbourne audiences over for now.

There are also plays by Kylie Trounson, S. Shakthidaran, Sue Smith, and Jane Harrison, whose work The Visitors is appearing as part of the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival. For more details on each play check out the MTC website.