The MWT was founded by noted playwright Jack Hibberd in 1982 to help writers develop scripts for the stage. Paid membership currently exceeds 100 and includes established and emerging playwrights as well as some of Melbourne’s leading actors and directors.

MWT’s core activity, script development, is furthered by means of panels discussions and readings and workshopping of plays by professional directors and actors, The MWT provides a ready access to the network of Victoria’s performing arts professionals, issues a monthly newsletter and maintains a website. Inexperienced playwrights will find the organisation’s annual seasons of new short plays an accessible, stimulating and educative experience.

The MWT meets monthly at the Courthouse Theatre, Drummond St, Carlton. Brief business meetings are followed by works on members play scripts. These take the form of rehearsed readings by professional actors and directors, workshopping and audience participation in question and answer sessions. From time to time MWT sponsors addresses by established playwrights, directors, theatre company managers and theatre critics.

After a period of membership decline in the mid 1990s. MWT has experienced a revival, largely due to the active involvement of lecturers and students of playwriting at several of Melbourne’s tertiary education colleges. Another factor in our revival has been a closer relationship with La Mama Inc, which by formal agreement with MWT manages the Courthouse as a theatre. Since 1998 our activities (script assessments, rehearsed readings, workshops, addresses and productions) have increased from 25 per year to 132 and the play readings and productions commonly attract near-capacity houses. Our 2003 season of short plays Infidelity achieved a total audience of over 900, with box office takings of $4465.

MWT’s paid membership now exceeds 100, many of whom are young aspiring playwrights. Rehearsed readings, workshops and productions are undertaken by professional actors and directors, and many luminaries of Australian theatre have graced our boards