He takes over responsibility for curating and building the ASC’s extensive catalogue of Australian playscripts, which currently comprises more than 900 scripts representing the work of 413 playwrights.

The position replaces that of Script Manager, previously held by Lian Tanner, who recently left the ASC after almost nine years to pursue fulltime writing.

It marks another milestone in what has been a transformative year for the organisation, starting with the transition to digital publishing and launch of the portal, australianplays.org for online script sales.

Tom Healey’s theatrical credentials are well-known and wide-ranging. They include former roles as Artistic Associate at Playbox Theatre, Curator of the Australian National Playwrights Conference and Artistic Counsel to Malthouse Theatre.

He is currently convenor of the RE Ross Trust Awards judging panel, a senior reader for Playwriting Australia and a member of HotHouse Theatre’s Artistic Directorate and Griffin Theatre Awards’ reading panel.

His many directing credits include Michael Gow’s The Kid (Griffin), Mary Rachel Brown’s Inside Out (CDP/HotHouse), Melissa Reeves’ The Spook (Malthouse), Falling Petals by Ben Ellis (Playbox) and Jodi Gallagher’s Victory Girls (La Mama) as well as a long list of opera and music
theatre credits.

Tom’s role as Literary Manager will be based in Melbourne, a first for the ASC, which has previously based its team entirely at its Hobart headquarters.

He said he welcomed the opportunity
to build on the ASC’s unique catalogue of Australian playscripts. “Every great production starts with a great script. I’m thrilled to be back in the engine room of contemporary writing,” he said. ASC Chair Campion Decent said Tom Healey’s appointment reflected the ASC’s determination to live up to its national status.

Quite apart from the formidable talent Tom brings to the ASC, his direct theatre involvements in Melbourne and Sydney make him ideally placed to be our eyes and ears on the national stage,” he said.