The Courtyard Studio, Canberra Theatre Centre. August 4-8, 11-15. Tickets $30-$35. Bookings: canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

Variety is the spice of life – and of Short + Sweet. The festival of short plays has been entertaining Canberrans for the past seven years with works of no more than 10 minutes' duration. There will be more than 40 plays, mostly by Canberra writers, in this year's festival. But it's not just the size that counts, it's the variety, and this year will be no exception, with comedy, drama, romance and even musicals all part of the program.

It's been a varied experience for Luke Middlebrook, too. The 23-year-old graduate of the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art has been involved with Short + Sweet for the past two-and-a-half years. During that time he's been a stage manager and a production manager in Sydney and in Canberra last year worked as a sound operator and designer as well as an actor – he won the award for Best Actor for And What A Damn Fine Morning It Is by Trace Crawford, which he describes as being about "urban penis envy".

This year he will be stage manager in the Canberra season.

"I wear a lot of hats," he says.

"I do as much as I can."

Middlebrook had a good time at last year's Short + Sweet and remembers working with people like actor Brendan Kelly, who will be acting in two pieces this year, and Anna Miley of Budding Theatre Company.

"My favourite play this year would be A Burlesque by MC Krewd – it's basically a burlesque piece," he says, describing MC Krewd, whom he saw in last year's show, as a funny and individual performer.

He says the biggest challenge working on Short + Sweet is the timing, getting each act on and off efficiently and making sure all those involved – writers, directors, performers – have an opportunity to shine while keeping the show fast-paced.

Middlebrook will be coming back to the Canberra Theatre Centre soon. His Fiddler's Green Theatre Company is bringing its premiere production, Shelagh Taylor's A Taste of Honey, to the Courtyard Studio in early September before a season in Sydney. He will produce and act in it, working with Canberra director Simon Doctor.

The 1958 British drama is a long way from Short + Sweet but Middlebrook says the issues it deals with, including a difficult mother-daughter relationship, single motherhood and racism, are still relevant. While he hasn't written a play of his own yet, that's on his to-do list.