Interplay Europe is one of the most important festivals for young playwrights in Europe. It is organized by Interplay; an international, not-for-profit arts organisation for the furtherance of young playwrights aged 18 to 26. It was founded in Sydney in 1985. Every two years Interplay organises the largest and most prestigious festival of its kind, World Interplay, in Australia. Every other year a European country hosts Interplay Europe. The first Interplay Europe was held in 1995 in Mainz organized by the playwrights Antje Rávic Strubel and Tobias Rausch and Interplay Europe e.V became official in 1998, which was also in Berlin. Participants from all over Europe discuss their plays for two inspiring, practical and creative weeks in classes, workshops, forums and events with experienced international tutors. Through workshops and small-scale productions, they have the opportunity to improve their work. Interplay also supports international youth exchange and seeks to contribute to better understanding between nations.
Interplay Festivals are held in order to:
- celebrate the creative richness of young playwrights
- provide an international meeting place where their work can be discussed, workshopped and performed
- provide an international forum for the ideas of young playwrights
- offer the general public access to the works of young writers
- contribute to regional, national and international cultural development.
Alumni
Many highly respected and international award-winning European playwrights started their career with Interplay. For example: Ivana Sajko and Tena Stivicic from Croatia, Katharina Schlender and Kristo Šagor from Germany, Ali Taylor and Sarah Kane from the UK, Enver Husicic and Esther Gerritsen from the Netherlands, Vera Filo and Anna Haraszti from Hungary, Darja Stocker and Simon Froehling from Switzerland or Ignacio Pajón Leyra and Antonio Rojano from Spain.
Interplay festival 2006.
Date: 18 June-25 June
Town: Schaan
Country: Liechtenstein
DELEGATIONS
Bulgaria: Ana Vaseva
Croatia: Nora Krstulovic (tutor), Maja Sviben
England: Ola Animashawun (tutor), Daniel Stathis Barker, Tinuke Asher Craig, Hannah Dee
Germany: Henning Fangauf (tutor), Kristo Šagor (tutor), Martin Kordic, Frauke Scheffler, Agnes Gerstenberg
Hungary: Judit Cziraki (tutor), Marianna Koncz
Latvia: Inta Bernova (tutor), Gunita Grosa, Eliza Sternberga, Daina Tabuna
Liechtenstein: Patrick Boltshauser (tutor), Peter Beck, Caroline Herfert
Netherlands: Jurrie Kwant (tutor), Hubert Roza (tutor), Enver Husicic, Maaike Johanna Bergstra, Radna Diels, Florian Pieter van Kuijk
Norway: Kim Atle Hansen
Scotland: Alan Wilkins (playwright) (tutor), Rachel Lynn Brody, Lewis Hetherington
Slovakia: Vanda Feriacova (tutor), Diana Kacarova, Pavol Kohut
Slovenia: Dragica Potocnjak (tutor), Sasa Rakef
Spain: Antonio Rojano, Ignacio Pajón Leyra
Switzerland: Miriam Ehlers (tutor), Anna Papst, Laura de Weck
Turkey: Hasan Erkek (tutor), Fatma Kandemir
Interplay festival 2008.
Date: 5 July-13 July
Town: Utrecht
Country: Netherlands
DELEGATIONS
Australia:Lachlan Philpot (tutor), Adam Mitchell (tutor), Anna Barnes
Croatia: Ivor Martinić
Denmark: Janicke Branth (tutor), Kristin Auestad Danielsen, Julie Maj Jacobsen, Caroline Cecilie Malling Joergensen, Katrine Hald Troensegaard, Brian Wind-Hansen, Thomas Markmann
England: Phil G. Davies, Rosa Connor, Issy McCann
France: Adeline Picault, Alban Ketelbuters
Germany: Henning Fangauf (tutor), Kristo Sagor (tutor), Azar Mortazavi-Manesh, Roman Senkl
Greece: Chara Bakonikola (tutor), Paraskevi Pouli, Marina Danezi
Hungary: Upor Laszlo (tutor), Márton Kiss
Iceland: Thordis Elva Thorvaldsdottir (tutor), Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson
Latvia: Lauris Gundars (tutor), Elvijs Cakans, Inga Liepa
Netherlands: Jurrie Kwant (tutor), Don Duyns (tutor), Gijsje Kooter (tutor), Jannemieke Caspers, Michiel Lieuwma, Malou De Roy van Zuydewijn, Babiche Ronday, Jelmer Soes, Anna Maria Versloot, Milou Brockhus, Esther Duysker, Timen Jan Veenstra
Poland: Aneta Wróbel-Wojtyszko (tutor), Ewa Wikiel, Sylwia Wojas
Russia: Benjamin Slivkin (tutor), Yulia Yakovleva, Dmitry Egorov
Scotland: Alan Wilkins (tutor), Joanne Toner, Jonathan Whiteside
Spain: Ignacio Pajón Leyra
Sweden: Dag Thelander
Switzerland: Simon Froehling (tutor), Noo Steffen
Turkey: Hasan Erkek (tutor), Cigdem Yildirem, Huseyin Gucumen
Interplay festival 2012.
Date: 2 July-7 July
Town: Madrid
Country: Spain
DELEGATIONS
Austria: Holger Schober (tutor), Kevin Oseanu,
Bulgaria: Stefan Prohorov
Germany: Henning Fangauf (tutor), Fine Riebner, Claudia Brueggemann
Greece: Nikolas Marmaras
Hungary: David Adam
Latvia: Rasa Bugavituçe, Edgars Nicklason
Netherlands: Maud Lazaroms (tutor), Rineke Roosenboom, Eva Gouda, Helena Hoogenkamp
Poland: Adam Biernacki (tutor), Paulina Danecka, Joanna Tyszka
Spain: Ignacio Pajón Leyra (tutor), José Cruz (tutor), Jorge Padín (tutor), Diana I. Luque (tutor), Manuel Benito, José Aurelio Martín, Nieves Rodríguez,
Sweden: Anna Berg (tutor), Johanna Svalbake, Gunnar Ericcson
Turkey: Hasan Erkek (tutor), Cagil Tekten, Ali Birkan Teke
Host towns
| Year | Town | Country | Artistic Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Mainz | Germany | Antje Rávic Strubel, Tobias Rausch |
| 1998 | Berlin | Germany | Henning Fangauf |
| 2000 | Warsaw | Poland | / |
| 2002 | Pecs | Hungary | / Judit Cziráki |
| 2004 | Athens | Greece | Nikos Kamtsis |
| 2006 | Schaan | Liechtenstein | Henning Fangauf |
| 2008 | Utrecht | Netherlands | Hubert Roza |
| 2010 | Izmir | Turkey | Hasan Erkek |
| 2012 | Madrid | Spain | Ignacio Pajón Leyra, José Cruz |
| 2014 | Bregenz | Austria | Henning Fangauf |
| 2016 | Ljungskile | Sweden | Niklas Malmcrona |
| 2018 | Liepāja | Latvia | Lauris Gundars |