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JANE BODIE
Jane Bodie is a playwright, screenwriter and theatre director. Her plays includingRIDE, Still, Fourplay and A Single Act have been performed worldwide, from Australia to New York and Brazil. RIDE received outstanding reviews during the 2002 International Edinburgh Festival after a sell-out season at Belvoir Theatre in Sydney the same year. Tony-award winning Fox Theatricals has since optioned the film rights to RIDE. Jane was short-listed for the Ewa Czajor Memorial Award, nominated for the Patrick White Playwright's Award and won a Green Room Award for Outstanding Writing for Still at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. She has been one of the writers on the Sydney Theatre Company's Blue Prints Literary Program, worked at the Royal Court Theatre with the Young Writers Programme and was chosen for an attachment to the National Theatre in the United Kingdom in 2005. Her play A Single Act premiered at the Hampstead Theatre and had its Australian premiere at the MTC in 2006, and won the 2007 Victoria Premier's Award for Best Play. Jane is currently Head of Playwriting at NIDA. She has also written extensively for television and radio, including The Secret Life of Us, Crash/Burn, No Angels and Moving Wallpaper.
ELIZABETH COLEMAN
Elizabeth Coleman first came to attention with her wonderfully dark comedy It's My Party (And I'll Die If I Want To) which premiered at the 1993 Melbourne Comedy Festival. Its success was eclipsed with the arrival of Secret Bridesmaids' Business in 1999 which broke box office records in Melbourne before embarking on a triumphant national tour in 2000. It was later adapted into a telemovie produced by Lynda House for ABC Television. Recently a revival of Secret Bridesmaids' Business was staged at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Her comedy about love gone wrong, This Way Up premiered in 2001 at Playbox Theatre in Melbourne.
Elizabeth has written several screenplays for television, including The Flying Doctors, G.P., SeaChange, Police Rescue, Heartbreak High, Something in the Air, The Secret Life of Us, Blue Heelers, All Saints and McLeod's Daughters.
She has co-created and co-written a drama series entitled Bed of Roses, for Southern Star and ABC Television and is currently writing a romantic comedy feature film.
BARRY CREYTON
One of Australia's best known theatre personalities. As a writer of TV drama, comedy, sketch and plays, Barry's credits include The Mavis Bramston Show, Carson's Law, The Mike Walsh Show, the hit play Double Act (produced in more than twenty languages and toured nationally in 2006), Valentine's Day and Later than Spring. Directing includes Australian tour of Nunsense (along with his revising dialogue) and acting, Mavis Bramston and Don's Party, Roger's Last Stand, Ten Years Hard (West End productions), The Naked Vicar Show, Corpse and Double Act (with Noelene Brown). Barry starred in the Ensemble's Glorious and returned recently to perform with Noelene in Duets.
BEN ELLIS
Ben Ellis's plays include Poet No. 7, which recently premiered at London's Theatre 503 and travelled to the Dublin Fringe Festival; his adaptation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis for Malthouse and Sydney Theatre Company Blueprints; The Wall Project (co-writer); Faith, Hope and Surveillance; Eclipses, 360 Positions in a One Night Stand (co-writer) and Outpatients. Falling Petals premiered at Playbox in 2003, and has gone on to productions in Sydney, Christchurch and New York. These People, shortlisted for both the NSW and Queensland Premier's Literary Awards in 2004, premiered at STC Blueprints in 2003. Awards include the Malcolm Robertson Prize (for Post Felicity), the Patrick White Playwrights Award and the ANPC/New Dramatists Award. Other work includes Between the Air and the Sea, a translation of French playwright Lionel Spycher's La Suspension du Plongeur. He recently enjoyed the six month Australia Council Keesing Studio Residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, to write several new works, and is now living in London. His new play, The Final Shot was produced by Theatre 503 in October 2007.
NICHOLAS FLANAGAN
His plays include Shadow Me, Shadow You (also composer), Dolphin Boy (2002 Playbox reading), Wicked (teen horror musical), Burning Time and his latest play Sex Comedy. Feature films in development include The Shrinking Ledge (rights optioned), and Burning Time (Mushroom Pictures).
NOËLLE JANACZEWSKA
Prolific and much produced playwright. Plays include The History of Water (Germany, Ottawa, The Gate Theatre, STC New Stages), Historia (STC Australian People's Theatre), Madagascar Lily (PACT Youth Theatre, St Martins Youth Arts Centre), Slowanska Street (plus radio adaptation Awgie Award winner), Cold Harvest, The Butcher's Wife, Jennifer In Security (Vital Statistix), Connie and Kevin and the Secret Life of Groceries and Songket (co-winner Griffin Award and Asia Link Prize). Radio scripts include Hinx Minx, Glissando 24 (2001 AWGIE Winner), My Secret Iceland, The Rush Hour Carillon (2004 AWGIE winner) and Let's go Brazil (2006 AWGIE winner). Her play Mrs Petrov's Shoe premiered at Melbourne's Theatre @ Risk in 2006 and won the Queenland Premier's Award for Stage Play, and her play Redheads premiered at Old Fitzroy Hotel in 2007. Her play This Territory was produced by ATYP and is published by Currency Press. In 2009 Noëlle won the AWGIE for Radio-Original Broadcast for There's Something About Eels. She was also nominated for Pitch Black. Noelle is also part of the 7-ON writing group, who are currently writing a commission for the STC.
CJ JOHNSON
Recently graduated from AFTRS, also a graduate of Brown University (BA) and NIDA's Directing Program, CJ's plays include; The Dog Logs (productions include La Mama, Darlinghurst Theatre twice, Melbourne Fringe, Bakehouse Theatre Adelaide), Barnesy, The Harbour and You (Darlinghurst Theatre twice), Backpacker! (shortlisted for the Phillip Parsons Young Playwright of the Year Award 2004) and most recently The Young Tycoons, which had its return hit season early this year at Darlinghurst Theatre. CJ is also a stage director and actor and his screenplay adaptation of Backpacker!, entitled The Guests, was shortlisted for the 2006 Tropfest Feature Program.
FINEGAN KRUCKEMEYER
Finegan has had 35 commissioned plays performed, with 17 new works having international seasons to 2011. This year, he writes commissioned works for companies in England, Ireland, China, Hobart, Sydney and Adelaide, and has 13 new plays premiere. In 2009, The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy won the Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE) for best children's play in Australia, and toured to Scotland, USA, Spain, Singapore, England, and the Sydney Opera House. Finegan was named 2009's Young Tasmanian Artist, 2008's Best Childrens' Theatre Playwright and 2007's Best Playwright in the SA Oscarts, and received the 2006 Jill Blewett Playwright's Award, and 2002 Colin Thiele Scholarship. As part of the ASSITEJ Next Generation (21 prominent young artists selected worldwide), Finegan has been an invited speaker at the World Children's Theatre Congress (Australia), Take Off Festival (England), Schäxpir Festival (Austria) and Imaginate Festival (Scotland).
VERITY LAUGHTON
Sydney based playwright. Works include The Mourning After (starring Nancye Hayes, Playbox Theatre and Riverina Theatre Company), Koala Lou (a musical based on Mem Fox's picture book) Carrying Light (State Theatre Co of South Australia, nominated for New Dramatists Award), Burning (Griffin Theatre Company, winner New Play Writing Award), The Gizmo (Adaptation of Paul Jennings novel (for Riverina Theatre Company) and The Snow Queen for Windmill Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre. Verity won 2 AWGIES in 2004 for best original radio drama adaptation for Fox and best community and youth theatre category for The Lightkeeper (touring nationally 2005). She has recently adapted the novel Nargun and the Stars for the stage and it is premiering at the 2009 Sydney and Perth Festivals. Also experienced dramaturg and prose writer with many stories and articles published. Verity is part of the 7-ON writing group, who are currently writing a commission for the STC, she also has as novel, feature screenplay and two new plays in development.
NICK MARCHAND
Nick is the Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Company. Previously Artistic Development Manager at Sydney Theatre Company where he produced the Wharf2 Blueprints productions, as well as creating and developing the Blueprints Literary Program. Plays include Mogadishu performed by Naked Theatre Company, 360 Positions in a One Night Stand (co-writer) for 2002 Sydney Festival, Adventures in the Apiary rehearsed reading at Royal Court, Triple X and Travelling Without Moving. In 2009 he directed Sue Smith's Strange Attractor for the Griffin Theatre Co.
JOHN MISTO
Sydney based playwright and screenwriter, John's play Sky was produced by the Ensemble Theatre and subsequently at Glen Street, Q Theatre and it went on to tour nationally. The Shoe-Horn Sonata, published by Currency Press, premiered at the Ensemble Theatre and other productions include La Boite Brisbane and King's Head London (with Susannah York). It won the 1996 NSW Premier's Award for Best Play and the 'Australia Remembers' National Play Competition and is bound for a 2007 tour. Gossamer premiered at the Ensemble and later played at the Fortune Theatre in NZ and John's most recent play, Harp On The Willow, starring Marina Prior, enjoyed a sold-out season at the Ensemble Theatre in 2003 and was awarded the Rodney Seaborn Playwrights' Award. Harp was produced at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre starring Marina Prior, Joan Carden and Mary O'Hara. John co-created and wrote all the episodes for the new ABC comedy/drama series The Cut to premiere in 2009. His awards for screenwriting include a remarkable 3 AWGIES, 3 AFIs, a Penguin Award and a Logie for such works as Palace of Dreams, Natural Causes, Peter and Pompey, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, and The Day of the Roses.
ROSS MUELLER
Ross Mueller is an Australian playwright. He is the winner of the Wal Cherry Play of the year 2007 for his play The Glory and in 2008 he was nominated twice for Green Room Awards for Best New Play. In March 2007 The Ghost Writer was premiered by Melbourne Theatre Company and in May 2007 his play No Man’s Island had its US premiere with a production at Here in New York City. In 2006 he was short listed for the New York New Dramatists Award for Construction of the Human Heart and it was shortlisted for the 2007 AWGIE Award for Best New Play. In 2008 he won the award. He has been commissioned by Playbox, Melbourne Theatre Company, Hothouse and ABC Radio National. He has been an affiliate of the Melbourne Theatre Company and a founding member of Melbourne Dramatists. Two of his plays have been published by Currency Press. His other works include; A Party in Fitzroy, Little Brother, Great Ocean Road, Colosseum, Pinters Explanation and (A pilot version of...) Something To Die For. His newest play Concussion premiered recently at Wharf 2 as a Griffin Theatre Co/ Sydney Theatre Co co-production.
KATE MULVANY
A BA graduate from Curtin University and an actress who has played leads with major Australian theatre companies in addition to TV and film work, Kate's had a number of plays produced: Father O Friendly, Derek Drives A Datsun, Vaseline Lollies, Blood and Bone (Winner of Naked Theatre Co's "Write Now"! Award), Naked Ambition and Storytime. She is wrote the book and lyrics for Naked Theatre Company Embalmer! The Musical. Her play The Danger Age won the 2004 Phillip Parsons Award and was produced at La Boite Theatre, this year it is being produced by Deck Chair Theatre Company. Kate's play The Seed, a Company B commission, in which she starred, played B Sharp then transferred to upstairs Belvoir in 2008, continuing on for a National tour. Her most recent play The Web premiered at Black Swan Theatre Company and Hothouse Theatre Company.
TOMMY MURPHY
Tommy Murphy graduated from the NIDA directing course. His writing credits include Saturn's Return, which premiered at Wharf 2 in 2008 and had a mainstage STC season in July 2009. He also wrote the adaptation of Timothy Conigrave's Holding The Man for Griffin Theatre Company in 2006 (2006 NSW Premier's Award, 2007 AWGIE). Holding The Man has gone on to repeat seasons at the Playhouse and Belvoir St, has been produced in San Francisco with the NCTC in 2007, in Auckland in 2009 and received its European premier at the Trafalgar Studios in London in May of this year. Murphy also wrote Strangers in Between another for the Griffin Theatre Company in 2005 (2005 NSW Premier's Award, nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award 2005 and an AWGIE in 2006), Troy's House (La Mama 2005, SUDS, ATYP, The Old Fitzroy and The Cultural Centre of Queanbeyan), Bendy (ATYP, Wollongong Uni and NHSPA), Try Hard (NIDA), For God, Queen and Country (Canberra Youth Theatre, Winner STC Young Playwright's Award) and an adaptation of Marlowe's The Massacre at Paris (ATYP). He was a contributing writer for Re: Macbeth (ATYP), Kinderspiel (ATYP/ Carrousel Theater an der Parkaue, Berlin co-production for the 2002 Sydney Festival) and 360 Positions in a One Night Stand (Kicking & Screaming Theatre for the 2002 Sydney Festival). Tommy's latest play, Gwen in Purgatory, is currently on at Company B, Belvoir St.
SUE SMITH
Sue Smith is a multi-award winning screenwriter and script editor. Her credits include the ABC miniseries Bastard Boys, the feature film Peaches, and the SBS miniseries RAN, which Sue co-wrote with John Alsop and Alice Addison. Other credits include the telemovies Temptation and The Road From Coorain, and, in partnership with John Alsop, the adaptation of My Brother Jack, the ABC series Bordertown, and the miniseries' The Leaving of Liverpool and Brides of Christ. Her first stage play, Thrall, was produced by Tamarama Rock Surfers in 2006 and In the Violet Time was showcased at the National Play Festival 2008. Sue's professional theatre debut, Strange Attractor, received a very successful premiere at the Griffin Theatre in 2009. Sue also wrote the libretto for Rembrandt's Wife, which premiered at the Victorian Opera April 2009 and was nominated for an AWGIE and Green Room Award.
DAVID WILLIAMSON
Australia's best-known and most prolific playwright. Multiple national and international tours for many of his plays. He has written over 40 plays including: The Removalists, Don's Party, The Club, Emerald City, Money and Friends, Dead White Males, Up For Grabs (UK production starring Madonna), Soulmates and the Jack Manning trilogy Face to Face, A Conversation and Charitable Intent. Majority of plays published by Currency Press. His play Lotte's Gift opened at Ensemble Theatre in February 2007 and his play Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot opened at the Melbourne Theatre Company in 2008 starring Caroline O'Connor. David's play Let the Sun Shine premiered at the Ensemble in 2009 and is being produced by the MTC and the QTC this year. His latest play Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica will premiere at the Ensemble in 2010. Films include Balibo, Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, Pharlap, Travelling North and Brilliant Lies. Television includes On The Beach.
