Playmarket New Zealand

04/06/2026

Congratulations to this year’s winner of Playwrights b4 25, Leroy Nurkka (Kūki ‘Āirani, Finland).

Leroy’s new play Queen Bitch is a grounded, poetic drama set against a landscape of partying. It asks what it means to face up to the world around you, deftly balancing absurdist comedy, erotic tenderness and psychological horror.

One judge described it as “an outstanding achievement. The writer has a skilful grasp of poetic imagery and authentic characterisation.” Another described it as “memorable and wholly original.”

Sarah Lawrence was highly commended for her play EGGS, which sees four half-sisters earn money by eating the sins of rich men. Judges described this bold new work as “arresting” and “moving”.

Many thanks to our partner Auckland Live, a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, for their continued support of young playwrights and for providing the winner's prize of $1,500. Auckland Live has supported this kaupapa since 2015.

Congratulations to the other finalists, and thanks to everyone who shared their work with us.

Read the full media release here:
https://www.playmarket.org.nz/news/unique-poetic-voice-honoured-with-top-prize

01/06/2026

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28/05/2026

Playmarket and Auckland Live are stoked to announce the shortlisted plays for PLAYWRIGHTS b4 25:

- Count Down To Midnight by Aedan Ward
- Entertaining Angels Unaware by Penelope Hare
- Nervous System by Gemma Bennion
- Queen Bitch by Leroy Nurkka
- EGGS by Sarah Lawrence

The winner will be announced next week and will receive a cash prize of $1,500 courtesy of Auckland Live.

Congratulations to the finalists and thanks to all those who entered.

19/05/2026

"We’re living in a world that has just gone so crazy, and the power of storytelling is now more important than ever. There’s a reason storytellers and artists are shut down by dictatorships and far-right regimes. That is because we encourage people to go towards truth, and to act on what is right. It sounds lofty, but that’s why I keep doing what I keep doing."

Tawhi Thomas, winner of this year's Adam Award for Best Play by a Māori Playwright, talked to Madelaine Empson from Regional News.

Tawhi Thomas (Ngāti Maniapoto) has just won Best Play by a Māori Playwright at Playmarket’s 2026 Adam NZ Play Awards. We got down to the nitty-gritty about his play Haere and more.

11/05/2026

THEATREMAKERS PROGRAMME
Mic Drop by Adyush Aditya and Marcus Savelio was the inaugural recipient of the Theatremakers Programme support. They worked with script advisor Jason Te Kare to strengthen story structure and roadtest some new ideas. A brand new season is about to kick off at Basement Theatre from June 23.

Submissions for this year's Theatremakers Programme close in just under three weeks.

Have you made a show for a recent fringe festival and want to keep going with it? Built a story from the ground up with mates? Want to road-test some new ideas for the 2.0 version of your newly fabricated devised tour de force?

Playmarket wants to celebrate your work. We’re getting right to the heart of collaboration with the Theatremakers Programme.

This programme provides further development for a collectively created scripted work. It’s aimed at artists who have had one successful production of their whakaari and want to take things to the next level.

The winning entry will be supported with either:
- a development clinic to further develop the work ahead of a remounted season
- or dedicated time with a script advisor to enhance the script for circulation to other producers

Entries close 1 June.

SEE MORE: https://www.playmarket.org.nz/opportunities-3

10/05/2026

ADAM NZ PLAY AWARDS 2026
BEST PLAY BY A WOMAN, TRANS OR NON-BINARY PLAYWRIGHT
The Treehouse by Kerry Lane

In this delicate chamber work, two siblings try to find a way to reconnect across their wildly difference experiences of the world. One judge described is as a ‘beautiful meditation on grief, sibling relationships, and what it means to live a meaningful life in a suffering world’.

Another judge said, 'the revelations that come in the end of the play feel earned and justified, while the play itself manages to encapsulate an entire world (physical and emotional) without feeling cluttered. A really beautiful and deceptively simple piece that moves as much as it reflects.'

📸 Kerry Lane.

05/05/2026

ADAM NZ PLAY AWARDS 2026
BEST PLAY BY A MĀORI PLAYWRIGHT
Haere by Tawhi Thomas

In Haere, Tawhi Thomas has crafted a sequence of vignettes which explore relationship dynamics between Māori and Pākehā over time, reflecting tensions and celebrating connections. It questions how far we have really come. One judge described the play as ‘awesome, succinct, effective’.

Another judge said, 'The playwright has done an incredible job here of balancing character detail and real dimension alongside the clear message they’re sending, so even though the characters are absolutely representatives of changing views throughout history, the play doesn’t come across as a lecture... I would love to be in the audience when the walls start breaking down and the audience realises they’re in the same world as the play.'

📸 Tawhi Thomas.

05/05/2026

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04/05/2026

Last chance to apply whānau!

Thanks to all to have applied, we have had some feedback around tight turnarounds- so have extended til 6th May :)
Apply here: https://forms.gle/6dys6wH3dJuA4Hfa7