Queensland’s premier theatre awards, the 36th annual Matilda Awards, has announced this year’s nominees, celebrating outstanding actors, composers, designers, directors from across the Sunshine State.
With 62 creatives and 35 shows nominated across the board, it’s evident how immense the talent in Queensland is. Three shows have five nominations each: Breathe In from Mackay’s Crossroad Arts, Is That You, Ruthie? from QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions, and Vietgone from Queensland Theatre. Drizzle Boy from Queensland Theatre and BANANALAND from Brisbane Festival and QPAC, both of which have four nominations.
The Matilda Awards are also shining a spotlight on the significance of arts organisations in the creation of new work. Brisbane Festival is named in 18 nominations across seven shows and QPAC in 16 nominations across four shows, while Metro Arts has 6 nominations across four shows.
Of the 100 shows reviewed by the panel, 19 were from outside Brisbane.
The awards will be presented on 26 February 2023; a full list of nominations is below. For more information, including ticket release dates, visit matildaawards.com.au or follow Matilda Awards on Facebook or Instagram.
2023 MATILDA AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST SET DESIGN
David Cross, RED (Dancenorth)
Tyler Hill, Stunt Double (Brisbane Festival/Brisbane Powerhouse/Screen Queensland/The Farm/Performing Lines)
Peter Keavy, Capricorn (La Boite Theatre)
Josh McIntosh, Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! (Brisbane Festival/shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
Simone Romaniuk, BANANALAND (Brisbane Festival/QPAC)
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Delvene Cockatoo-Collins and Peter Keavy, Capricorn (La Boite Theatre)
Dan Gough, Kasey Turner, Savannah Fry, Emily Overton CAKE (IMRSE)
Jess Hansen, Billy Elliot (Matt Ward Entertainment)
Belinda Gayle McCormack, Adventures of Peter Rabbit (Small Crown Productions)
Simone Romaniuk, BANANALAND (Brisbane Festival/QPAC)
BEST COMPOSITION AND/OR SOUND DESIGN
Alisdair Macindoe RED (Dancenorth)
Kate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall, James Dobinson, Joy Weng, Terry McKibbin BANANALAND (Brisbane Festival/QPAC)
Josh Notting & Autumn Skuthorpe, Breathe In (Crossroad Arts)
Guy Webster, Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre)
Guy Webster & Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra, The Poison of Polygamy (La Boite Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company)
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Ben Hughes, Salamander (Brisbane Festival/Northshore)
Yaron Lipschitz, Eternity (Brisbane Festival/Circa)
Trent Suidgeest, Frankenstein (shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
Trent Suidgeest, Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! (Brisbane Festival/shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
Bernie Tan-Hayes, Vietgone (Queensland Theatre)
BEST VIDEO DESIGN
Justin Harrison, Is That You, Ruthie? (QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions)
Nevin Howell, Vietgone (Queensland Theatre)
Freddie Komp, Breathe In (Crossroad Arts)
Craig Wilkinson, Frankenstein (shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
Craig Wilkinson, Wizard of Oz in Concert (Prospero Arts/QPAC)
BEST DIRECTION
Daniel Evans, Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre)
Ngọc Phan & Daniel Evans, Vietgone (Queensland Theatre)
Leah Purcell, Is That You, Ruthie? (QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions)
Timothy Wynn, Every Brilliant Thing (THAT Production Co/Metro Arts)
Alison Richardson, Breathe In (Crossroad Arts)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Caitlin Dooley, CAKE (IMRSE)
Stephen Hirst, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Offside Theatre)
Jason Klarwein, Every Brilliant Thing (THAT Production Co/Metro Arts)
Liliana Macarone, The Penelopiad (Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble)
Cecilia Martin, Break (The Farm/Metro Arts)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Chenoa Deemal, Is That You Ruthie? (QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions)
Seán Dowling, Unconditional (Playlab Theatre, presented by Playlab Theatre and Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse)
Anthony Gooley, The Mystery of the Valkyrie (Woodward Productions/PowerArts)
Cameron Hurry, Unconditional (Playlab Theatre, presented by Playlab Theatre and Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse)
Kimie Tsukakoshi, The Poison of Polygamy (La Boite Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Pierce Gordon, Proof (Ad Astra)
Aimee Duroux, Proof (Ad Astra)
Brigitte Freeme, Top Girls (Ad Astra)
Zoe de Plevitz, Adventures of Peter Rabbit (Small Crown Productions)
Cameron Hurry, Grand Horizons (PIP Theatre)
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Helen Cassidy, Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas! (Brisbane Festival/shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
Courtney Cavallaro, As You Like It (Queensland Theatre)
Ngọc Phan, Vietgone (Queensland Theatre)
Barbara Lowing, Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race (Queensland Theatre)
Merlynn Tong, The Poison of Polygamy (La Boite Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company)
BEST ENSEMBLE
Betwixt (Pink Matter/Metro Arts)
Salamander (Brisbane Festival/Northshore)
Stunt Double (Brisbane Festival/Brisbane Powerhouse/Screen Queensland/The Farm)
The Penelopiad (Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble)
From Little Things (Flipside Circus & Casus Creations)
BILLE BROWN AWARD BEST EMERGING ARTIST
Caitlin Hill, Direction (Proof, Ad Astra)
Courtney Cavallaro, Performance (As You Like It, Queensland Theatre)
Nevin Howell, Video Design (Drizzle Boy, Queensland Theatre; Vietgone, Queensland Theatre; White China, Playlab Theatre)
Peter Keavy, Set and Costume Design (Capricorn, La Boite Theatre; Higher Faster Louder, JUTE)
Malika Savory, Performance (Children of the Black Skirt, Curators’ Theatre; Picnic at Hanging Rock, Observatory Theatre)
BEST MUSICAL OR CABARET
A Very Naughty Christmas (Woodward Productions)
BANANALAND (Brisbane Festival/QPAC)
Billy Elliot (Matt Ward Entertainment)
Merry Mixology (Outside the Jukebox)
The Wizard of Oz in Concert (Prospero Arts/QPAC)
BEST CIRCUS OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Break (The Farm/Metro Arts)
Party Ghost (Brisbane Festival/Cluster Arts)
RED (Dancenorth)
Salamander (Brisbane Festival/Northshore)
Stunt Double (Brisbane Festival/Brisbane Powerhouse/Screen Queensland/The Farm/Performing Lines)
BRISBANE POWERHOUSE BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Offside Theatre)
CAKE (IMRSE)
ITEM (Dance Masala’s Nakhre Crew/Metro Arts)
Every Brilliant Thing (THAT Production Company/Metro Arts)
Proof (Ad Astra)
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Breathe In (Crossroad Arts)
Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre)
Is That You, Ruthie? (QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions)
Vietgone (Queensland Theatre)
Frankenstein (shake & stir theatre co/QPAC)
THE JUDGES’ AWARD – TO BE ANNOUNCED ON THE NIGHT
THE LORD MAYOR’S AWARD FOR BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Breathe In (Co-creators Brenden Borellini, Georgia Cranko, Alison Richardson, Crossroad Arts Writer Ryan Enniss)
Drizzle Boy (Queensland Theatre, Writer Hannah Belanszky)
Don’t Ask What the Bird Look Like (Queensland Theatre)
Is That You, Ruthie? (Stage Adaptation by Leah Purcell, based on Is That You, Ruthie? and Buthalangi: A Maranoa Woman by Dr Ruth Hegarty QPAC in association with Oombarra Productions)
Unconditional (Playwrights Seán Dowling, Cameron Hurry, Playlab Theatre, presented by Playlab Theatre and Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse)
THE GOLD MATILDA – TO BE ANNOUNCED ON THE NIGHT
QUT SCHOOL OF CREATIVE PRACTICE BEHIND THE SCENES AWARD – TO BE ANNOUNCED ON THE NIGHT
