Falling behind the play

Having spent a few months working on a play that deals with climate change, a meteorologist and other issues called 'Weather' I was a little upset to find today another play called 'Weather' dealing with climate change and with a meteorologist is being read at Circa Theatre in a few weeks.

This isn't the first time this has happened. My play Real - looking at Real Estate was in the bag and had been workshopped by Playmarket and was awaiting performance, when Geraldine Brophy toured a play called Real Estate with a grant from Creative NZ. The difference that time was the titles didn't quite match up and mine seemed to have been clearly written 3 years earlier than hers, just not produced AND I didn't get a grant from Creative NZ.

And then there was the time I had a play about a cafe performed in a cafe and 3 months later found some students from Drama school were doing a play about a cafe set in a cafe.

My problems is I'm falling behind. The cafe play I was ahead, the Real Estate play I was ahead but ended up at the same time and the latest one clearly John Smyth had his on the drawing board longer as mine now is only ready for workshopping and his is at the stage of a rehearsed reading.

I'm worried now the next play I write will have me sued for plagarism even though I have no idea what anyone else is up to.