Short+Sweet is a ten minute Theatre & Dance Festival. In fact in Short+Sweet there is only one defining factor and limitation placed on all work in the Festival – all pieces (Theatre or Dance) must be ten-minutes or less. So not surprisingly we are strict on enforcing the ten minute time limit.

Although writers, choreographers and theatre-makers are warned that their pieces must be ten minutes or less, and they are asked to check and double check their piece’s running time before entering it, we still do receive pieces that are over ten minutes long.

Most of these are screened out during the assessment process but occasionally a play will be selected for Short+Sweet that looks fine on paper but turns out to be longer than ten minutes in actual playing time.

Or a dance, piece of choreography, movement piece or group devised work will be created that exceeds the time limit.

It is the director or choreographer’s responsibility to make sure the production they deliver to Short+Sweet is ten minutes or less.  In the case of theatre a director may need to work with their writer to cut dialogue or the actors to remove stage action – whatever gets the production under ten minutes.

So how strict are we on enforcing the ten minute time limit ? In a word – very. How much leeway do participants get ? Not a lot.

If your production is say five or ten seconds over you’re okay but the moment you start edging up towards the 10 minute 30 second mark – trouble, as they say, is your way coming.

Timing Procedure

Timing of a theatre/dance work begins when the stage lights come up or the action of the theatre or dance work begins, whichever happens first. (For example: A play may begin with dialogue in a blackout.)

Timing does not include change over between theatre/dance work or pre-show music or sound FX (unless they are part of the action of the theatre/dance work).

The first time a theatre/dance work will be timed is at the Dress Rehearsal. If using the above guidelines a theatre/dance work’s timing reaches or exceeds 10 minutes, 30 seconds they will receive an official FIRST WARNING from the Festival Director and asked to reduce the length of their work. Don’t worry – we don’t gong you off !

THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOUR THEATRE/DANCE WORK CAN BE TEN MINUTES THIRTY SECONDS. WE ARE JUST GIVING YOU SOME BREATHING SPACE OVER THE TEN MINUTE MARK. IF YOUR PLAY IS TWENTY SECONDS OR EVEN FIFTEEN SECONDS OVER THE TEN MINUTE MARK YOU MAY STILL BE WARNED. YOU WILL DEFINITELY BE WARNED IF IT HITS 10 MINUTES 30 SECONDS.

If a theatre/dance work has received a FIRST WARNING a theatre/dance work will be timed again the next night. If the theatre/dance work again reaches or exceeds 10 minutes, 30 seconds the director/theatre-makers will receive a SECOND AND FINAL WARNING and asked very urgently to reduce the length of their theatre/dance work.

If a director/choreographer has received a SECOND AND FINAL WARNING their theatre/dance work will be timed on the following night and any further performances. If during ANY OF THOSE REMAINING PERFORMANCES their play/theatre-work reaches or exceeds 10 minutes, 30 seconds their production will be DISQUALIFIED.

What this means is they may complete the final performances of their week but they are no longer eligible for any prizes awarded at the end of the festival.

And we gently assure you – you will be disqualified. In the first year the time limit was enforced (2004 – Sydney) a wonderful production, perhaps one of the best ever in Short+Sweet history, with very high profile participants (!) was repeatedly warned for being well in excess of 10 minutes, 30 seconds.

Despite continual warnings they did not rectify their running time and after the final performance were disqualified despite clearly winning both the Judge’s vote and People’s Choice for the week. It doesn’t matter who you are if you consistently exceed the time limit you will be disqualified.

Laugh Allowance

If a theatre/dance work is a comedy – either intentionally or not – and the theatre/dance work receives EXCESSIVE laughter from the audience – that effects the running time of the production – they will be given a Laugh Allowance of up to ONE MINUTE.

Also if due to Technical reasons beyond their control a play/theatre-work exceeds the time limit that will be taken into consideration but may or may not result in extra time being allowed. This is given at the discretion of Short+Sweet and the Artistic Director of the Festival

Advice to Directors, Choreographers & Theatre Makers

The best way to make sure a theatre/dance work does not exceed the time limit is to time it!

Once you start running your theatre/dance work in the rehearsal room you should start start timing it. You will soon see if they have time issues.

You should aim to run the work – at normal playing speed – UNDER 10 minutes in the rehearsal room, also allowing time for SOUND FX and Lighting Cues. If you do this you give yourselves some breathing space when you get into the theatre.

If your theatre/dance work is running at OVER 10 minutes in the rehearsal room there is a very good chance that it will have time issues once you get into the theatre. The director/theatre-makers should work with their writer/performers to cut dialogue/remove stage action to get in under 10 minutes in the rehearsal room. You shouldn’t wait till you get into the theatre !

Timing for Wildcard Play/theatre-works

The 10 minute time limit also applies to Wildcards. But since Wildcard participants only have one performance of their play/theatre-work – you do not receive any warnings. You do however have leeway – 30 SECONDS to be exact.

All Wildcards will be timed during their performance. If they exceed 10 minutes, 30 seconds at that performance they will be immediately disqualified.

You will be able to complete the performance but you will not be considered by the judges in determining the winner of that specific Wildcard performance or the overall Wildcard winner or for any prizes presented at the end of the festival.

The laugh allowance of up to ONE MINUTE will be given for excessive laughter at the discretion of the Artistic Director of the Festival.