Polly Low Email & Phone Number

Perth, Wa, Au

Current: Freelance dramaturgy and acting work.2024: Festival of Perth production of The Pool, as actor.Yirra Yaarnz writing program, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company, as workshop leader, mentor and dramaturg.2023: Dramaturgy for a Black Swan commission; Script Development workshops, as Actor; Script Development workshops, as Dramaturg. 2022: October/November: performed In Black Swan's production of OIL at the Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre Of WA .2012 to Sept 2022: while p/t Literary Advisor then p/t Literary Director at Black Swan State Theatre Company, also worked freelance as an actor, dramaturg, writer, regional projects artistic support/guide, workshop leader, voice-over artist, lecturer in Voice and in Playwriting.Prior to 2012: Freelance actor, voice-over artist, dramaturg, writer, lecturer, workshop leader, role-play specialist, arts worker.

As a freelance dramaturg, I have dramaturged works by highly experienced playwrights, by those not quite so experienced, and by those just beginning their playwriting journeys. For Black Swan State Theatre Company, when employed as their Literary Director: Dramaturgy from concept to stage on works such as Andrea Gibbs' BARRACKING FOR THE UMPIRE, Van Badham's adaptation of ANIMAL FARM, Chris Isaacs' and Ian Michael's YORK, Hellie Turner's adaptation of LIGHTHOUSE GIRL, Hilary Bell's adaptation of THE RED BALLOON, Jane Bodie's WATER, monologue plays for UNSUNG HEROES, by Barbara Hostalek, Hellie Turner, Gita Bezard, Chris Isaacs, Mararo Wangai. Dramaturgical input into numerous Black Swan productions including Tim Winton's RISING WATER, Suzie Miller's DUST and Oriel Gray's THE TORRENTS. Plays dramaturged as a freelance, from concept to professional production, include Barbara Hostalek's CRACKED and Narelle Thorne's DATING BLACK, both developed for Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.

For Various Companies

Highly experienced performer. Represented by Nerida at Moore Creative Artists, Perth.For further details: https://www.moorecreativeartists.com.au/

Western Australia, Australia

Work with community groups to develop work. Eg: Between Wind and Water: script, written for Agelink Theatre for the Fremantle Heritage Festival 2018, performed by a mix of professional actors and community members, for a sold-out Festival season. Dirk Hartog festival in Shark Bay: researching, scriptwriting, collating, dramaturging local writing, teaching, directing, etc, leading to street performances throughout the festival - and subsequently, The Shark Bay Players were formed. Seniors in Esperance: writing sessions, dramaturgy, collating and organizing writing, leading to staged performance. Short radio script development in Albany, leading to broadcasting on local ABC. Work with Peter Cowan Writers Group to adapt Peter Cowan short stories for the stage, leading to a public reading.

Worked extensively in health and safety role-play for the mining industry throughout Australia, and in more recent years focused on training medical professionals through the Cancer Council.

From 2015: Facilitator for the Yirra Yaarnz intensive playwriting program for Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company (teaching, mentoring, dramaturging). The program results in annual public readings of short scripts, traditionally during NAIDOC week. Already, some of these scripts have had further development and been taken into production. I taught units in voice at University level for well over 20 years, up until and including 2019. These units were at Curtin University and also for WAAPA (mostly Performing Arts Minor units at WAAPA, and cover). I have also taught units in playwriting at University level at various times, and have run classes/workshops in performance.I have run workshops or workshop programs for a wide range of groups and organizations throughout my career (eg for Kalgoorlie Rep, for the WA Ballet, for the CWA, for the hearing impaired, for the vision impaired, for multiple schools and companies.)

Widely experienced voice-over artist. Agent: MCA Perth. https://www.moorecreativeartists.com.au/

Look after the Company's commissioned playwrights, provide dramaturgy as needed from concept through to production, and also coordinate and facilitate script development workshops. Maintain wide knowledge of new scripts, requesting and reading national and international plays. Report on scripts, take scripts of interest into artistic discussions. Maintain contacts with writers, agents and other theatre professionals nationally and internationally. Be aware of local writers who are developing craft. Respond to needs/communications/requests as they arise. Run Black Swan's Associated Writers Group. Dramaturgy from concept to stage on works such as Andrea Gibbs' BARRACKING FOR THE UMPIRE, Van Badham's adaptation of ANIMAL FARM, Chris Isaacs' and Ian Michael's YORK, Hellie Turner's adaptation of LIGHTHOUSE GIRL, Hilary Bell's adaptation of THE RED BALLOON, Jane Bodie's WATER, monologue plays for UNSUNG HEROES, by Barbara Hostalek, Hellie Turner, Gita Bezard, Chris Isaacs, Mararo Wangai. Dramaturgical input into numerous Black Swan productions including Tim Winton's RISING WATER and Oriel Gray's THE TORRENTS.From 2012 - 2014 I was the Company's Literary Advisor - a position with emphasis on sourcing new scripts from the world for programming consideration. The position began to grow, and the responsibilities of dramaturgy and the development of playwrights became a major focus once I was appointed Literary Director in early 2014.

Ma (Creative Arts); Ba (Performing Arts);

Education record