Shortlisted for Playwriting Award

James Cunningham's original work THAT'S RACIST Shortlisted for prestigious Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award

Actors Jessica Norsworthy, Shae Kelly, Jai Wright and Jamie Turner rehearsing THAT'S RACIST with writer and director James Cunningham at Midsumma Playwriting Award in 2021 Ⓒ Presidential Productions

Melbourne, Australia — James Cunningham has been officially shortlisted for the 2021 Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award for his original theatrical work That’s Racist, marking a significant milestone in his creative career and cementing his voice within Australia’s contemporary queer theatre landscape.

Now in its seventh year, the Queer Playwriting Award — presented by Midsumma Festival in partnership with Gasworks Arts Park — is recognised for identifying and nurturing new Australian playwriting talent that explores LGBTQIA+ themes with originality, urgency and artistic ambition. The initiative supports works-in-progress through public staged readings during the Midsumma Festival, placing emerging voices in front of audiences and industry professionals alike.

Cunningham’s That’s Racist was selected from a competitive national field and presented as a staged reading at Gasworks Arts Park in February. The reading featured a Melbourne-based cast and was attended by festival audiences and judging panel members, offering an early platform for the work’s sharp dialogue and provocative themes.

A dark comedy, That’s Racist unfolds across a single Australia Day at a local community swimming pool, using humour, discomfort and confrontation to examine racism, power dynamics and everyday micro-aggressions within Australian society. The play’s shortlisting was widely regarded as recognition of its boldness and relevance, engaging audiences through its unapologetic interrogation of national identity and social blind spots — filtered through a distinctly queer lens.

Cunningham’s inclusion on the shortlist placed him among a select group of playwrights identified as significant emerging voices in Australian theatre. The acknowledgment also reinforced the Midsumma Queer Playwriting Award’s role as a vital incubator for challenging new work that reflects the diversity and complexity of contemporary queer experiences.

Following its staged reading by Melbourne-based actors Shae Kelly, Jamie Turner, Jai Wright, That’s Racist will continue its creative trajectory, entering development consideration as a short film under Cunningham’s production banner, Presidential Productions. The adaptation signals the work’s flexibility across mediums and its ongoing relevance beyond the stage.

Reflecting on the shortlisting, Cunningham has described the experience as both affirming and catalytic—opening doors to new collaborators, conversations and audiences, while underscoring the importance of fearless storytelling within Australia’s cultural landscape. "The work's shortlisting was both humbling and inspiring," says Cunningham. 

For more information, visit presproductionsco.com

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