Malthouse announces Wendy Mocke and Vivian Nguyen as Malcolm Robertson Foundation Commissions and Joe Paradise Lui as 2023/2024 Artist in Residence

Malthouse Theatre today announced Wendy Mocke and Vivian Nguyen as recipients of the 2023 Malcolm Robertson Foundation Commissions and Joe Paradise Lui as the Artist in Residence.

Papua New Guinean interdisciplinary storyteller and a NIDA Acting graduate, Wendy Mocke will develop Kirk’s Backyard (My First Caucasian Play) as a Malcolm Robertson Foundation Commission, while Asian Australian playwright and actor, Vivian Nguyen will develop Cocaine Bust.

Named in honour of the late great Malcolm Robertson—an actor, director and former Playbox Theatre Company literary manager, who worked tirelessly throughout his career to encourage and develop Australian playwrights— the Malcolm Robertson Writers Program allows Malthouse to commission two early career playwrights each year to write a full-length play.

Past recipients have included Nazaree Dickerson, Carly Sheppard, Keziah Warner, Aran Thangaratnam, Claire Coleman, Vidya Rajan, Tom Ballard, Louris van de Geer, Kit Lazaroo, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Osamah Sami and Janice Muller, Jada Alberts, Emilie Collyer, Michele Lee, Zoë Coombs Marr, Nakkiah Lui, Peta Brady, Richard Frankland, Declan Greene and Lally Katz Kit Lazaroo, Michele Lee, Nakkiah Lui, Janice Muller, Vidya Rajan, Osamah Sami, Carly Sheppard, Aran Thangaratnam, Louris van de Geer, and Keziah Warner.

Commissioned plays have included Stay Woke, Chase, Australian Realness, Good Muslim Boy, Going Down, Blaque Showgirls, Ugly Mugs, Walking into the Bigness, plus Alistair Baldwin’s Telethon Kid, which has its premiere at Malthouse in August 2023.

Carrillo Gantner AC, Chairman, The Malcolm Robertson Foundation:

Since 2005, the Malcolm Robertson Foundation has been proud to support 29 commissions in collaboration with Malthouse Theatre through the Malcolm Robertson Writers Program. We are very pleased to be supporting Wendy and Vivian as they bring these exciting and essential stories to life.

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