The Bruce Mason Playwright Award winner in 1996, John Vakidis is best known for his stage and radio plays. A New Zealander of Greek-Romanian stock and resident in Paekakariki, Johns first radio play was produced in 1989. A playwright in residence at New Zealand Drama School 1988-1989, John is also an actor and was involved in the establishment of BATS Theatre (in its current form) in Wellington in the early 1990s.
John came to public prominence as actor and writer in 1995 with his first stage play Tommy Swain, directed by Jim Moriarty at BATS. Acclaimed by critics, this work for one actor and one musician marked out Vakidis strong, real grasp of character and dialogue and a style of naturalism which is gripping and moving in its honesty and what it reveals of people.
With his full length play Tzigane for Downstage, directed by Cathy Downes, Vakidis was acclaimed as leaping with one bound into the forefront of our playwrights. (Evening Post). Judged among New Zealands thirty favourite plays by established NZ theatre practitioners for Playmarkets 30th edition of this magazine last year, it has so far gone on to professional stage production with Wow! Productions in Dunedin, radio production and amateur production with Howick Little Theatre. In 1996 it helped win its Downstage production team five awards at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards including Best New New Zealand play and Production of the Year.
John has gone on to co-write two stageplays with Hone Kouka, Rivermouth and Taiki E, the latter touring national secondary schools with Jim Moriartys Te Rakau Hua O Te Wao Tapu company in 1997 and 1998. He wrote their next show Busted in 1999 and then Kaitiaki in 2001. His last play for the professional stage Keep Your Nose Clean was produced at BATS in 1999. John has since worked with Te Rakau writing in a devised and collaboration situation six plays with various youth residential centres and communities up and down the country. John is the author of numerous radio plays for Radio New Zealand, his most recent being produced in 2004. Two are featured here. He is currently completing his first novel, The Olive Boy.