Sarah Delahunty Explained

Sarah Delahunty (born 1952) is a New Zealand writer and director who was born in Wellington.^[1] An award-winning playwright, Delahunty has written over 30 plays, often focussing on works for youth.^[2]

In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours, Delahunty was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to theatre.^[3]

Life

Delahunty was born in Wellington, and grew up there with her sister, politician Catherine Delahunty.^[4] Sarah enrolled at the New Zealand Drama School but found it boring and left after ten days. She then worked at Downstage Theatre, before getting a lead role on soap opera Close to Home.

Awards

• Best Theatre, NZ Fringe Festival Affinity ^[5]
• 2012 Playmarket's Plays for the Young Competition The Beanstalkers
• 2009 Playmarket's Plays for Young Competition 2b or not 2b
• 2008 Pick of the Fringe 2b or not 2b ^[1]
• 1987 Bruce Mason Playwriting Award^[6]

Publications

Two Plays Sarah Delahunty (Playmarket, 2009); 2b or nt 2b and Eating the Wolf.

Plays

• 2020 - #UsTwo: Six Decades of Sisterhood
• 2019 - This Long Winter
• 2018 - Question Time Blues with Catherine Delahunty
• 2015 – Where She Stood, nominated for 2016 Fringe Festival Residency Award ^[7]
• 2014 – 4 billion likes ^[8]
• 2013 – Affinity ^[9]
• 2011 – Falling Sparrows Here or There ^[10]
• 2011 – Crazy Joint Love ^[11]
• 2010 – Song of Four ^[12]
• 2010 – Trusting Strangers, Counting Stars
• 2010 – Inside Out ^[13]
• 2010 – Medea Songs
• 2008 – The Antigone Project
• 2008 – 2b or nt 2b ^[14]
• 2007 – Another Planet ^[15]
• 2007 – Homework ^[16]
• 2006 – Superbeast ^[17]
• 2005 – Eating the Wolf
• 2002 – Driving You Crazy ^[18]
• 2002 – The Oddity ^[19]
• 2002 – Lifelines (music by Michelle Scullion)
• Time On Our Side
• 2000 – Damage ^[20]
• Blind Date ^[21]
• Dear Felicity ^[22]
• 1998 – The Last Gasp Café ^[23]
• 1996 – Second Sight ^[24]
• 1992 – Gifts ^[25]
• Greener Grass ^[26]
• 1986 – Loose Connections ^[27]
• 1985 – Stretchmarks ^[28]

Plays for children

• The Beanstalkers
• Friends Forever
• Sleeping Beauty
• Magic in the Air
• The Emperor's New Clothes
• Beauty and the Beast
• Puss in Boots
• The Adventures of Toad (adaptation)
• Harry Under the Bed
• The Frog Prince
• The Tinderbox
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Rumpelstiltskin
• The Gingerbread Man
• Snow White and Rose Red
• The BFG (adaptation)
• The Twits (adaptation)

Notes and References

1. Book: Forster. Michelanne. Plumb. Vivienne. Twenty New Zealand Playwrights. 2013. Playmarket. Wellington. 9780908607471.
2. Web site: Sarah Delahunty. Playmarket. 21 April 2016.
3. Web site: Queen's Birthday honours list 2015 . 1 June 2015 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . 23 April 2016.
4. Web site: mins. Adam Goodall Read Time: 39. The One-Day Spin: A Chat With Sarah and Catherine Delahunty. 2021-05-15. Pantograph Punch.
5. News: Kerr. Brianne. New Zealand Fringe Festival Awards 2013. 21 April 2016. The Big Idea. 11 March 2013.
6. Web site: Edmond. Murray. Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 21 April 2016.
7. Web site: 2016 award winners! – Fringe Festival. fringe.co.nz. 2016-04-23.
8. Book: Circa 1996 – 2016. Whitireia Publishing. 2016. 978-0-9941302-3-5. Wellington.
9. Web site: New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews - Theatreview. www.theatreview.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
10. Web site: Falling Sparrows Here or There – Deeply simple fun with angst. www.theatreview.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
11. Web site: New Zealand Theatre: theatre reviews, performance reviews – Theatreview. www.theatreview.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
12. Web site: Song Of Four :: Young and Hungry Arts Trust – NZ Youth Theatre. www.youngandhungry.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
13. Web site: Wellington.scoop.co.nz » Fringe: Inside Out in Newtown. wellington.scoop.co.nz. en. 2016-04-23.
14. Book: Delahunty, Sarah. Two Plays Sarah Delahunty. Playmarket. 2009. 978-0-908607-36-5. Wellington.
15. Web site: Another Planet Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
16. Web site: Homework Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
17. Web site: Superbeast – Delahunty does it again. www.theatreview.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
18. Web site: Driving You Crazy Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
19. Web site: The Oddity Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
20. Book: Smythe, John. Downstage upfront. Victoria University Press. 2004. 0-86473-489-1. Wellington. 491.
21. Web site: Blind Date Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
22. Web site: Dear Felicity Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
23. Web site: The Last Gasp Cafe Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
24. Web site: Past Playwrights :: Young and Hungry Arts Trust – NZ Youth Theatre. www.youngandhungry.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
25. Web site: Gifts Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
26. Web site: Greener Grass Playmarket. www.playmarket.org.nz. 2016-04-23.
27. Book: Smythe, John. Downstage upfront. Victoria University Press. 2004. 0-86473-489-1. Wellington. 481.
28. Book: Circa 1976-1996. The Council of Circa Theatre. 1996. 0-473-04155-3. Wellington. 49.