AustLit

The National Theatre Movement began to advertise an initiative to 'encourage Australian playwrights' in June 1938, with the offer of £20 of prize money spread between the top three entries and the promise of production for the winner ('National Drama Encouraged'). The proceeds from the production, however, would all be directed to the Movement's own fund, which had a goal extending beyond the support of a single Australian playwright.

An article in Table Talk gives some 'hints for intending entrants' that are revealing of the Movement's ambitions for the competition ('National Theatre Movement', Table Talk). The hints require that the playwright have concern for the limitations of amateur theatres in terms of cast size, set design and even actor skill. The National Theatre Movement sought to promote 'legitimate' theatre in Australia through the support of existent minor companies and thus required that Australian writing be constrained to match the state of Australian theatre, at least for the present time, rather than stretching theatres to meet the demands of more risky plays.

Entries for the competition closed 30 September 1938, and in March 1939 the National Theatre Movement was still issuing assurances that adjudication was underway, citing an overwhelming number of entries as the reason for the delay (Prizes For New Plays'). At this point newspaper records of the award appear to cease for a time, until January 1940 'a competition' supported by the Movement was announced as being in the final stages of judging the sixty plays ('National Theatre Movement', The Age). On 1 May the prize were announced ('Victorian Play Competition')

Research has not yet determined whether these are the results of another competition opened in 1939, for which there do not appear to be any records of advertisement, or if in fact these are the results of the original 1938 competition announced nineteen months on.

Sources:

'National Drama Encouraged: Movement's Plans', The Argus, 22 June 1938, p. 6.

'National Theatre Movement', Table Talk, 25 August 1938, p. 38.

'Prizes for New Plays', Weekly Times, 4 March 1939, p. 44.

'National Theatre Movement', The Age, 17 January 1940, p. 10.

'Victorian Play Competition: Tasmanians First and Third', The Mercury, 1 May 1940, p. 5.