La Mama Playreadings

La Mama has a long history of holding Playreadings on Saturday afternoons, in the set of another show. These public readings are often the first stage in the La Mama programming process and are an opportunity for writers primarily, but also for performers and directors, to hear the words aloud, with a live audience. From here, there are often redrafting processes before the work is ready for full production. La Mama staff attend the readings and are available to offer feedback and support in next stages. Tickets are $10 and conversation about the work (formal Q&A/informal chat) is encouraged. We try and create space for all Playreading requests and typically do 10 – 15 per year.

Past Playreadings & Book Launches

An old photo in black and white of a woman in the kitchen with a long dress pointing at the fridge

Playreading: The Right Words on the Day

A young girl of 10 years old stands next to a sitting man who is her family’s restaurant’s chef, in front of an old wooden suburban fence with the chimneys of East Melbourne behind her.

Script Reading: La Societa Italiana

Three identical hands holding a melting mint chocolate chip ice cream, the images are glitching.

Playreading: The Marvellous Life of Carlo Gatti

A pair of white cartoon-like eyes stare out from the shadowy crevice of a yellow couch. The couch sits against a plain cream-coloured wall.

Playreading: Live With It

Playreading: Who Saved JFK?

Pigeons survey chess board with pieces in a deserted park setting.

Playreading: Chessed Off

Playreading: Eva 4 Ever

Playreading: Vivaldi’s Park

La Mama Courthouse Interior

Open House Melbourne 2023

Jul 29 – Jul 30

Playreading: Thin Threads

self-portrait by Maggie Diaz.

Film Script Reading: Almost Human, The Movie (Fundraiser)

A red devil mask in foreground and a woman in sillhouette against a rural backdrop.

Playreading: The Devil Made Her Do It

A white silhouette of a woman falling backwards against the starry dark blue expanse of outer space.

Playreading: The Girl Who Fell to Earth

Open House Melbourne

Jul 30 – Jul 31

Monologue: My Father’s Story

Playreading: Hans loves Tom but there is a problem

Playreading: Gehenna

Playreading: THE PASSING

Playreading: Why We Took the Car (Tschick)

Playreading: LUNG

Black and white image of a pale, dark haired woman covering her face with her hands, against a backdrop of binary code.

Playreading: ADA

an interpretation of Medusa

Playreading: Where there’s a Will

Mature-aged woman with long hair standing centre-frame holding a bag in front of a wall that is covered by graffiti.

Playreading: WAY

A crow flying through a storm with a child’s doll in its claw.

Playreading: CARTEA FURTUNILOR – The Book of Storms

A wine glass shattered on a white table cloth with red wine seeping across the table.

Playreading: Tuesday Lunch

Playreading: I Shall Go Out Across the Snow-Covered Field

Black and white Corner of patterned couch.

Book launch: The Archaeology of a Dream City

Playreading: Heretics

Playreading: Our Half of the Sky

In the sunshine a man and a dog sit together against a brick wall

Playreading: Everyman & His Dog

Playreading: Kookaburra Players Present

A woman wearing colourful traditional Burmese dress is reading a text from a lectern

They Shoot Poets Don’t They – FUNDRAISER FOR MYANMAR

Playreading: Various Characters

Photos of the actors in Last Illuminations appear superimposed on the interior of the reading room of a library (the State Library of Victoria).

Playreading: Last Illuminations

Fireworks outdoors at night

War-Rak / Banksia

Playreading: My Sister Jill

Dec 11 – Dec 12