Matthew Ryan (writer)

Matthew Ryan [1] is an Australian playwright, theatre director and screenwriter.

Matthew Ryan
BornAustralia
OccupationPlaywright, theatre director and screenwriter
Website
matthewryan.net.au

Early life

Ryan's family had a hobby farm at Shepparton in Victoria and he spent some of his childhood living there. The farm was not far from Glenrowan where the Ned Kelly shootout occurred and his 2012 his play Kelly looks at the myth and the legend of Ned Kelly.[2]

He attended Somerset College on the Gold Coast and says, "I loved Drama in high school. For me it was a real escape from teenage life. I had a wonderful drama teacher at Somerset College ... who cared so much about the Arts."[3] He continued to act in theatre on the Gold Coast after leaving school.[3]

Writing

Talking about the beginnings of his writing career Ryan said,

After I moved to Brisbane I was looking for the sort of plays I wanted to be in. Then I realised the things I wanted to be in hadn’t been written. It started at the University of Queensland with a crazy student production I co-wrote and co-directed. I loved it so much I started writing my new play straight after the first one. It took me another seven years to get a work on the professional main stage (at La Boite) but I was committed to achieving it.[3]

Career

Matthew Ryan has written and co-written a number of plays which have been performed by professional theatre companies including La Boite Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company (QTC), Hothouse Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company.[4] He has been nominated and won awards for his plays [5] and several are available in print including Brisbane, [1] Boy Girl Wall,[6] Kelly,[7] Summer Wonderland,[8] The Harbinger[8] and The Dance of Jeremiah.[8] His book Plays from the Top of the Stairs, Vol, 1 was written for use in the classroom where students can work in groups. Its target age is 8 to 15 years and it was developed through work with the Backbone Youth Arts.[9]

He is a co-founder with Jonathon Oxlade, Lucas Stibbard and Neridah Waters of independent theatre-making group The Escapists.[10]

His play Boy Girl Wall toured from August 2011 to September 2012 through Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.[11]

The Harbinger toured from August to October 2014 through Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales Western Australia, Northern Territory, and ACT.[11]

Kelly toured Australia nationally from March to July 2015.[12]

Awards

2000 George Landen Dann Award Winner (The Dance of Jeremiah)[13]

2005 Matilda Awards nominated for the Book Nook Award for Best Playwright (The Dance of Jeremiah)[5]

2007 Matilda Awards nominated for Best New Australian Work (Summer Wonderland)[5]

2008 Matilda Awards Winner for Best New Australian Work (Attack of the Attacking Attackers)[5]

2010 Matilda Awards Winner for The Escapists for Best Independent Production (Boy Girl Wall) [5]

2010 Matilda Awards nominated for Best New Australian Work (Boy Girl Wall )[5]

2010 Screen Queensland joint winner The Writers’ Room[14]

2012 Matilda Awards nominated for Best New Australian Work (Kelly)[5]

2015 Matilda Awards Winner The Lord Mayor's Award for Best New Australian Work (Brisbane)[5]

2015 Helpmann Awards shortlisted Best Regional Touring Production (Kelly)[15]

2017 ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Contest (Los Angeles) Semi-finalist (Goodbye My Enemy)[16]

2017 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest (Los Angeles) Grand Prize Winner (Get It Together)[17]

Works [4]
First Performed Title Venue First Performed Title Venue
1998 So You Die a Little (co-writer Tony Brockman) Cement Box Theatre, University of Queensland (Pandemonium Theatre) 2005 The Dance of Jeremiah Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite)
2007 Summer Wonderland Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2009 Boy Girl Wall (co-writer Lucas Stibbard) Sue Benner Theatre, Brisbane (The Escapists/Metro Arts)
2011 The Harbinger (co-writer David Morton) Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2012 Kelly Cremorne Theatre, South Brisbane (QTC)
2014 Packed (co-writer Lucas Stibbard) The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga (The Escapists/HotHouse Theatre) 2015 Brisbane Playhouse, South Bank (QTC)

Other Theatrical Work [4]
First Performed Title Venue
2008 Attack of the Attacking Attackers (Adaptor) Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite)
2011 Sacre Bleu (Adaptor) Cremorne Theatre, South Brisbane (QTC)

References
  1. "Brisbane". Trove. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  2. "Playwright aims to shoot down the Ned Kelly myth By Bridget Cormack 20 September 2012". The Australian. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. "Matthew Ryan, playwright, Kelly By Jade Quinlivan 5 March 2015". The Weekend Edition. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  4. "Matthew Ryan Playwright". AusStage. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  5. "Matilda Awards Archive". Matilda Awards. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  6. "Boy girl wall". Trove. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  7. "Kelly". Currency Press. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  8. "Matthew Ryan,". Playlab. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. "Plays from the Top of the Stairs Vol. 1". Playlab. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  10. "boy girl wall | The Escapists by Caitlin Gahan 5 August 2010". Australian Stage. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  11. "Matthew Ryan". AusStage. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  12. Queensland Theatre Company, Annual Report 2015, Queensland Theatre Company, 2016, p. 30
  13. "Manufacturer Details Matthew Ryan". Playlab. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  14. "Screen QLD gives 5 scriptwriters opportunity - Press Release". IF. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  15. "Best Regional Touring Production". Helpmann Awards. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  16. "2017 ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Contest Semifinalists Announced". ScreenCraft. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  17. "2017 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest Winners Announced!". ScreenCraft. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
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