Duncan Sarkies

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Duncan Sarkies
Sarkies in 2024
BornNew Zealand
MediumStand-up, screenwriter, playwright, novelist
NationalityNew Zealand
Notable works and rolesTwo Little Boys (novel)
Two Little Boys (film)

Duncan Sarkies is a New Zealand screenwriter, playwright, stand-up comic, and novelist. He is best known for having co-written the script of Scarfies with his brother Robert Sarkies, who directed the film.

Early life and education

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Duncan Sarkies grew up in the South Island city of Dunedin.[citation needed]

He is the brother of film director and screenwriter Robert Sarkies.[1]

Career

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Sarkies' is known for his creation of "eccentric plots and darkly comic portrayals of 'the outsider' and the disturbed".[1]

He co-wrote, with his brother Robert, the script for Scarfies, a black comedy-crime thriller released in 1999.[1]

He also wrote New Fans, the tenth episode of the comedy series Flight of the Conchords.[1]

Sarkies debut novel, Two Little Boys was published in March 2008, and was made into a film of the same name, released in 2012.[2][3]

In 2013 he published another novel, Demolition of the Century.[1]

Sarkies took the part of Declan the Werewolf in Taika Waititi's 2014 film What We Do in the Shadows.[4] Also in 2014, he was script editor on the 2014 ABC Television (Australia) series Soul Mates.[4] He contributed to the writing of four episodes of Maximum Choppage, which aired on the ABC in 2015.[4]

He directed, wrote, and co-created the 12-episode fantasy podcast series The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Berties Botanarium, released in 2016 through Howl.[1]

He has been a contributor to the American TV series, What We Do in the Shadows since 2019.[4]

Sarkies assisted with story development for the documentary Wilbur: The King in the Ring, Julia Parnell's feature film that premiered at Doc Edge in 2017, after starting life as a short film in 2015 for Loading Docs.[4]

Other activities

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As part of the2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, Duncan hosted a series of online talks with New Zealand writers Pip Adam, Kirsten McDougall, and Rose Lu.[1]

Recognition and awards

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Sarkies' work has been praised by critics for its originality.[1]

His awards and fellowships include:

Personal life

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As of 2022 Sarkies was living in Wellington.[1]

Selected works

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Plays

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  • The Ceramic Camel (1993)
  • Lovepuke (1993)*
  • Saving Grace (1994)
  • Snooze (1997)
  • Twelve (1997)
  • Blue Vein (1997)
  • Special (1997)
  • Bystander (1998)

*Published in Eleven Young Playwrights (1994)

Podcasts

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  • The Mysterious Secrets of Uncle Berties Botanarium[1]

Novels

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  • Two Little Boys (2008)[1]
  • Demolition of the Century (2013)[1]

Films

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Television

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Duncan Sarkies". Academy of New Zealand Literature. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  2. ^ Two Little Boys Archived 29 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Southland Institute of Technology.
  3. ^ Two Little Boys. Duncan Sarkies website, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Duncan Sarkies". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Bruce Mason Playwriting Award". teara.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 14 June 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
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