Astra Nova
‘New Star’
AD ASTRA means ‘to the stars’ in Latin, and our new works division is called ASTRA NOVA, which means ‘new star’.
This division has two exciting parts to its charter.
Firstly, we work with professional Queensland writers who already have a sgnificant body of work assisting them to introduce their latest new work to Brisbane audiences. This program gives audiences the opportunity to see a fledgling new work, grow and develop, and to see it in a moved ready in its very early stages.
The other exciting part of Astra Nova is where we encourage and develop emerging playwrights by providing them with an industry mentor for twelve months. They work through a structured program through out the year with their mentor and Ad Astra. The four productions all vie for two places in the Astra Nova Showcase which kicks of the season in Pluto each year.
This program is co-ordinated by Hannah Banks and Jo Loth is in its second year. We hope it will become an integral part of all the great work Brisbane theatre companies are doing to foster our local stories and those who write them.
Each mentor chooses a work that resonates with them, and together with the playwright, they get the script ready for a table read with a local director and actors. Feedback is given to the writer from Ad Astra, the mentor and the creatives involved in the tabel read.
The team work together over the year to bring the play closer towards being stage ready so as to give it the best chance of success. The mentor designs the program that they will undertake for this. At the end of the year all four plays are performed without a full set, basic lighting and sound vying for the chance to be one of two plays chosen to open the season in Pluto.
Astra Nova 2025 Showcase Winners
Astra Nova can only exist with the wonderful support of the industry professionals who willingly give their time voluntarily to mentor each years emerging playwrighting cohort.
History and Future
Astra Nova has, in the past, produced a play most years including Jingle Bells Sucks, Jingle Bells Sucks Baubles and Why Men Run at 2am which have been successful additions to the Ad Astra season. Our touring division, Satellite, produced an interactive theatre experience called Baedeker performed at the bar with the same name, written by an Astra Nova champion Pierce Gordon. This work was commissioned by a film distributor, to kick off a thriller movie screening.
In 2024, the Astra Nova program was re-imagined by Executive Producer Gregory J Wilken. It started with a group of four playwrights and four mentors who were working towards being selected in the first ever Astra Nova showcase in 2025. Sadly, our beautiful theatre was closed before this could take place. However, we were excited to announce that they will be opening our 2026 season in Pluto and each year we will be doing the same.
Below you will find the mentors who have been so generous donating their time and the playwrights with whom they have worked. Ad Astra and the playwrights would also like to thank the directors and actors that gave their time to help these stories develop. It is truly inspiring to see so many Queensland creatives support each other to create fabulous works for audiences to enjoy.
In 2025 we kicked off working with professional playwrights by introducing First Night (of the One Day of the Year) by Stephen Vagg. This part of the program allows creatives to help bring this new work off the pages and onto the stage in a moved reading and eventually a full production. Ad Astra loves that both creatives on and off stage and audience members are able to help nurture this new work through to its premiere performance.
If you are a Queenslander, and you have a play that you would like to submit to Astra Nova for consideration in its next intake - please email astranova@adastracreativity.com
