PLOT STUDENT THEATRE SOCIETY

PLoT, which stands for Produces Lots of Theatre, is a university-affiliated theatre company operating in Hobart, Tasmania. We perform at least two full-length plays each year along with a series of staged readings, script developments, and variety nights. 

PLoT stages a wide variety of shows. Previous offerings have included Ben Ellis' Falling Petals, Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Cymbeline (both by Shakespeare), Alice in Wonderland, Hilary Bell's Wolf Lullaby, The Caucasian Chalk Circle and The Importance of Being Earnest. PLoT has also produced original material from UTAS students, such as Hamilton by Scott Faulkner, Disclosed by Caitlin Richardson, and Everything's Fine by Benedicta McGeown.

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PLoT has four pillars, to which we ascribe:

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1) The body of our work is for student by students – we want to ground PLoT within its roots, producing theatre that caters for the university.  

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2) We want to support artistic endeavours – providing a stepping-stone for emerging artists and use PLoT as a platform for performing new, interesting and unique local/national work.

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3) Those creating through PLoT shall respect peoples’ bodies and boundaries – allowing themselves and others to feel safe, empowered, and excited to create.

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4) And most importantly, we want to have fun doing it!   

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You too can get involved with PLoT in a number of ways: keep an eye on our website or facebook group at P-l O-T (or PLoT) for audition notices and crew calls or email plotexec@gmail.com to join our mailing list and be the first to know about upcoming shows.

The PLoT Theatre Company is the oldest entirely student-run organisation in the state, and one of the oldest theatre groups in the area over-all. Traditionally operating out of the University of Tasmania, we have an active presence on campus, and have frequently liaised with the English and Ancient Civilizations departments to stage productions and read throughs for a number of study texts, including Shakespeare, The Real Inspector Hound, The Alcestis and The Medea. Given our status as a youth theatre company, almost every performer in Hobart can chalk up a PLoT production at the beginning of their careers.

In 2011, the company was dealt a significant challenge when our traditional on-campus base, the Studio Theatre, was reclaimed and reconstituted by the University. Despite the obvious difficulties such a decision imposed, the company has successfully continued due to the ongoing support of members, audiences, and our sponsors. In 2012, after a long absence, PLoT entered two productions, A Work in Progress and An Angel Intrudes, into OneFest. At the end of the year, we also staged our first major independent production, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, at the Theatre Royal Backspace.

Since then, we have continued to explore and push the boundaries of student theatre operating in the wider community - hiring theatres and renting rehearsal spaces, covering costs, and advertising for the wider public. The need to afford and pay back hire expenses - whilst uncertain - has encouraged us to produce shows of more and more ambition, quality, skill-development, and spectacle. Reflecting our commitment to producing high-quality student-lead productions, we have recently received a number of nominations and awards in the community sector of the Tasmanian Theatre Awards. Considering our continued success since 2012, our outlook is positive: we hope to be able to keep staging youth theatre long into the future. 

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Doctor Faustus

Kenna MacTavish as Wagner, 2017 production

No Exit

Breanna Geer as Inès, 2011 production

Romeo & Juliet

Ashlee Mcallister as Juliet, 2013 production